Chilly pork

Pork- 500 gms, cut into cubes (equal quantity of belly pieces and shoulder or just belly is also fine)

Chinese 5 spice seasoning- 1/2 tbsp

Dark soy sauce- 1/2 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste- 1/2 tbsp

Pepper- 1 tsp

Salt- to taste

Oil- 1 tbsp

Ginger- 1 tbsp, grated

Garlic- 1 tbsp roughly chopped

Green chillies- 2, slit (adjust according to taste)

Spring onions- 3, chopped (just the white bits, keep the green aside for garnishing)

Tomato- 1 small, finely chopped

Bell pepper- a little more than 1/4 cup, cut into 1 inch squares

Onions- 1 small, petals separated and cut into 1 inch squares

Dark soy sauce- around 1/2 tbsp

Chilli sauce- 1 tsp (optional)

Mix all the ingredients from pork to salt in a pressure cooker and cook until done. I dont add any water, but if you want you can add a dash.

I cook on high till one whistle and then reduce heat to low and cook for a further 12 to 13 minutes. Wait for the pressure to release and then open the lid.

Once you open, if you find a lot of water, cook it off on high heat with just a wee bit of gravy remaining, around 1/4 cup liquid.

In a large wok, heat the oil and throw in ginger, garlic green chillies and spring onion whites till fragrant around 4 to 5 minutes on medium high heat.

Add the chopped tomato and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Add the bell pepper and onions and mix it all well. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add the cooked pork along with all the juices and give a mix with all the vegetables.

Reduce heat to medium, add the dark soy sauce and chilli sauce (and salt if needed) and fry the pork.

Keep stirring in between and cook till the oil surfaces and the pork is roasted well.

Garnish with spring onion greens and serve with your favourite noodle or fried rice.

Notes: This dish is best with belly pork as the fat renders the taste.

Roasting the pork on medium heat till the oil surfaces is key.

Leave a bit of the pork in the wok and add a cup of cooked rice to it and stir fry on high for a few minutes to get an incredibly flavourful fried rice.

Meat pattichu varuthathu

Adapted from Mrs K. M Mathew's book Flavours of the Spice Coast

 Beef- 1 kg*, cut into medium size pieces

To roast and grind

Fennel seeds- 1 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon stick- 2 inch piece

Cloves- 6

Peppercorn- 2 tsp

Kashmiri chilly powder- 2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1 tsp

Coriander powder- 3 1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp

Vinegar- 2 tsp

Salt- to taste

Coconut oil- 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Curry leaves- 2 sprigs

Shallots- 10 to 12, roughly chopped

Ginger- 2 tbsp, sliced

Garlic- 5 cloves, sliced

Dry roast all the ingredients in the roast section for about 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat. Keep stirring continuously or else you will end up burning the spices.

Once slightly cool, grind them finely.

Remove 1 tsp of this powder and to the rest add the ginger garlic paste, vinegar and salt.

Marinate the meat with this mix, and keep aside for an hour or so. 

Transfer the meat to a pressure cooker and cook with about half cup water till done. 

(I close the lid and cook on high till steam comes after which i put on the weight and wait for the first whistle. Once the first whistle is out, i reduce heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes. For the beef we get here, this method works well).

Open the pressure cooker, and if there is a lot of liquid, evaporate most of it on high heat, leaving about a quarter cup of liquid with the meat.

Heat coconut oil in a large wok and add mustard seeds.

Once they splutter, add curry leaves, shallots, sliced ginger and garlic and cook till slightly brown and the raw smell from the ginger and garlic disappears.

Add the reserved tea spoon of masala powder to the onions and saute for a few minutes.

Finally, tip in the beef along with the gravy and fry on medium heat till dark and semi dry. I dont like my beef too dry, but with some wet masala smothering it.

The masalas will start leaving the sides of the pan, and there will be some oil visible around the pan. At this point, you can add some more fresh curry leaves, give a final mix and take it off the flame.

Serve hot with Kerala porotta or rice and moru kachiyahu.

Notes: The preparation is just moderately spicy, you can increase the pepper and red chilly powder to suit your taste

*The beef i used here is a roasting joint which has a nice layer of fat. Please do yourself a favour and use beef with a bit of fat, for this recipe. Trust me, it makes a difference.

I also added a few beef short ribs just to see what its like. I personally think it didnt make too much of a difference, however if it was a curry i was making, it would have amped up the taste. 

You can do the entire prep in a normal pot, but cooking time is longer and also make sure you add at least 2 to 3 cups of water to the beef while cooking, so it doesnt dry out.

You can try the same with mutton as well, and it tastes great.

Fish fry

 

King fish- 250 gms (2 medium size steaks)

Marinade

Chilli powder- 3/4th tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp

Peppercorns- 1 tsp

Coriander powder-2 tsp

Lemon juice- 1 tsp

Ginger- 1 inch piece, peeled and roughly chopped

Garlic- 4 medium pods, peeled

Indian shallots- 4, peeled and roughly chopped

Curry leaves- 6 to 8 leaves + enough to garnish

Salt- to taste

Oil- to shallow fry

Into a blender add all the marinade ingredients and blend to a fine paste, without adding any water.

Its ok if the garlic and ginger haven't been ground to bits, some pieces here and there are fine.

Check for salt, add if needed.

Generously rub both sides of the steak with the marinade and keep covered in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Heat oil in a frying pan, and fry the fish on medium heat, about 2 minutes on each side, or depending on the thickness of the steak. Don't over cook it, or else the fish becomes hard.

Towards the end of the frying time, add some curry leaves into the oil for added flavour.

Scoop them out and crumble on top of the fish before serving.

I served mine with a side of pickled onions and a squeeze of lime juice.

You can use this marinade for any fish, mackerel, anchovies, tuna steak, any oily fish.

Chettinad chicken biryani

Recipe adapted from here

 

Chicken- 1 kg, without skin, but with bone and cut into medium size pieces

To marinate

Greek yoghurt- 1/2 cup

Ginger garlic paste- 1 heaped tsp

Green chilli- 1, finely chopped

Garam masala- 1 tsp

Salt- to taste

For the rice

Basmati rice- 3 cups, washed till water runs clear (refer notes)

Coconut milk- 2 cups

Water- 3 cups

Lime juice- 1 tbsp

Salt- to taste

For the masala

Ghee- 3 tbsp

Cardamom- 4 pods

Cinnamon- 2 inch stick

Cloves- 4

Bay leaf- 1

Star anise- 1

Onions- 3 medium, finely chopped

Thai green chilly- 2, slit in half (add more if you want it spicy)

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Tomato- 2 medium, finely chopped

Chilli powder- 2 tsp

Coriander powder- 2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1 tsp

Mint leaves- 1/4 cup, roughly chopped

Coriander leaves- 1/2 cup, roughly chopped

Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients in that section for a minimum of at least an hour. I marinated it the previous night.

Mix together the coconut milk and water and soak the washed rice in  it when you begin to start prepping the biryani.

For the gravy, heat a large pot over medium heat and melt the ghee

Into it add the whole spices and when they start smelling great, throw in the onions and green chilly.

Saute and cook till the onions turn a light golden brown at which point you add the ginger garlic paste.

Mix well and cook till the raw smell disappears.

Add the tomatoes, cover with a lid and cook till the oil starts appearing around the edges. 

In goes the chilli, coriander and turmeric powder. Add a dash of water if needed and cook for about 2 minutes.

Mix in the mint and coriander leaves and then tip in the marinated chicken. Mix well.

Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, till water starts coming out. Don't add any water.

Pour in the coconut milk mix from the rice into the pot (without the rice of course), mix well, increase heat to high and bring the mix to a boil.
After boiling for about 5 minutes, add the rice, lime juice and enough salt into the water. The salt should stand out a bit, as only then will your biryani have the right amount of salt once cooked.
Close with a tight lid, reduce heat to low and cook for about 25 minutes.
Make sure no steam escapes. If you don't have a tight lid, wrap the lid with foil so it fits tightly.
Once the time is up, and all the water has been absorbed, do a taste test from the rice right on top. If its cooked then remove from heat, if not, cook for a further 5 minutes.
Drizzle some ghee on top and cover with lid and keep aside for about 10 minutes and then serve hot with a side of raita, pickle and pappadom.

Notes: I use a variety of basmati rice called golden sella which is more resilient to cooking and doesn't break or become mushy as easily as basmati. I always end up with a mushy mess when i use basmati for biryani and so started using sella after i tasted a really good biryani using this rice at the famous Kadiris in London.
If using basmati, follow same method, but you would know the cooking time for your rice and amount of water, so adjust accordingly. I know this is pretty vague info, so ill try it with a normal basmati next time and update.
Use good quality coconut milk, the thick creamy one, as coconut milk powder will not bring out the taste that well.
I need to perfect this recipe a bit more, as the flavour hasn't come out the way i expected. I shall update it as and when i try it again.

Pepper chicken

Recipe adapted from here

Chicken with bone- 700gms, skinless, cleaned and cut into medium pieces

Coconut oil- 3 tbsp

Coconut cuts/pieces- a handful

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Ginger garlic paste- 1 1/2 tbsp

Onions- 2 medium, finely chopped

Salt- to taste

Green chilly- 1, slit

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Meat masala- 1 1/2 tsp (any meat masala of choice)

Freshly ground pepper powder- 2 tsp

Tomato- 1 medium, roughly chopped + 1 tsp tomato paste

Coconut milk- 1/4 cup (thick)

Garam masala- 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves- a handful, finely chopped

Heat oil in a wok and add the coconut cuts and curry leaves.

Saute till the coconut turns light brown. Dont burn them.

Add the ginger garlic paste and cook on medium heat till the raw smell disappears.

Throw in the chopped onions, salt and green chilly and cook till they turn light brown. Keep stirring in between.

Stir in turmeric powder and meat masala, followed by freshly ground pepper. Add a splash of water if you feel the pan is too hot and the masalas will burn. I did add a splash of water here.

Add the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste along with a generous splash of water. Mix it all together and cover and cook till the tomatoes break down and turn mushy and oil starts resurfacing.

In goes the chicken, mix it into the masala, trying to coat the pieces as much possible.

Cover and cook, making sure to keep stirring in between. 

You do not need to add any water as the chicken would give out enough water. 

Add the coconut milk and keep cooking without the lid, till the gravy almost gets coated on the chicken pieces

Do a taste test for salt and add if needed.

Finally, sprinkle the garam masala and give a final mix.

Stir in half the coriander leaves, transfer to a serving dish and garnish with remaining coriander leaves.

Notes: We found that it was very spicy in spite of reducing the pepper powder. So reduce further if you cant handle the heat.

I have also made a curry version of this, by adding 1 1/2 cups of water once the chicken is partially cooked, as in after all the water from the chicken has already come out. Bring the curry to a boil and then add the coconut milk at the end.

South Indian garlic and coconut rice

Serves 4 as part of main meal (recipe adapted from here)

Oil- 1tsp

Curry leaves- 6 to 8 leaves

Garlic- 15 medium size pods, peeled and roughly chopped

Dried red chilli- 1 large (add more if you want it spicy)

Fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp

Grated coconut- 1 cup

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1 tsp

Ghee- 1/2 tbsp

Oil- 1 tsp

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Urad dal- 1 tsp

Dried red chilli- 2

Cooked rice- 6 cups (could be basmati, or any leftover rice)

Heat the oil in a wok and keeping heat to medium low, add the curry leaves, garlic, dried red chilli, fennel seeds, grated coconut and chilli powder.

Roast till the coconut changes in colour a bit and all the spices are aromatic, for about 5 minutes or so. Keep stirring continuously or they will burn. 

Once cool, grind to a coarse mix.

Heat the ghee in the same wok and splutter mustard seeds.

Add curry leaves, urad dal and the dried red chilli to temper.

Add the ground mix and saute for a couple of minutes, just to warm it up.

Add cooked rice into the wok and mix it into the tempered ingredients and ground mix slowly, without breaking the rice.

Keep on heat just enough to warm the rice.

Serve with cold raita and pickle and papad.

Notes: Its a dish that is very strong on the garlic flavour. Reduce it if you want to mellow it down a bit.

Cold cooked rice, or rice that has stayed a couple of days in the fridge is best in this recipe.

You can ease the process by adding the ground mix with the rice in a bowl and then pouring the tempered ingredients on top of the rice and giving a good mix.

Stuffed Welsh Rarebit

 

Serves 4

For the cheese sauce

Grated mature Cheddar cheese- 1 heaped cup + enough to top the slices of bread

Goats cheese- 3 heaped tbsp

Double cream- 1/2 cup

Milk- a generous splash

Paprika- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Mustard- a generous pinch

Worcestershire sauce- 1/2 tsp

Pepper- to taste

4 slices of chunky bread

Leftover roasted chicken- 3/4th cup, shredded (or any chicken, I've used breaded ones from the supermarket)

Thyme leaves- a sprig, to garnish

Mix together all the ingredients for the cheese sauce in a saucepan.

Keep the heat on medium and keep cooking till all of the cheese is melted and the mixture becomes thick. 

Keep stirring at intervals to make sure the sauce doesn't stick to base, and keep scraping the sides while you go.

Simultaneously, toast the slices of bread either in a toaster or under the oven grill. Make sure you don't burn them.

Place the toasted slices in an oven proof tray or a cast iron skillet and top them with shredded chicken.

Pour the cheese sauce on top of the chicken and bread slices, to cover them quite generously. Its ok if the sauce drips along the sides.

Grate some more cheese on top, sprinkle some thyme leaves on top and place under the oven grill for about 5 minutes, just to melt the cheese and warm the chicken a bit.

Dig into this devilishly decadent dish  straight out of the oven and with a salad side if needed.

Notes: You can use any cheese of choice. I once tried it with spicy Mexican cheese and it was bloody brilliant. 

The goats cheese is also purely optional, but that little bit does make a difference in taste.

Stuff it with any meat of choice, pulled pork would be a great alternative as will be prawns.

Festive cooking: Chicken cordon bleu croissant wreath

 

Its DECEMBERRRR! Shrieks in excitement!

As usual this year also flew by so fast. A brand new nephew (who i will meet in a weeks time), a good couple of breaks for Chaiparty, an interesting business preposition, a new house and a pretty decent year if you ask me. Really thankful for all that has been bestowed upon us this year.

Christmas is going to be at home in India with family this year and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it. Baking is on in full swing, to gift to neighbours and friends and this lil number right here was served at a pre Christmas party at mine a few weeks back. Christmas is the time for a table stunner of a dish and i think this Chicken Cordon Bleu croissant wreath will definitely give the guests something to talk about.

 

I was lucky enough to attend a session with Maille at their flagship store in Piccadilly circus and got to taste some of their amazing flavoured mustard and must say I'm hooked on to them. It goes into my pasta's, bakes and with meat and I've also got the husband (a not so big mustard fan) hooked. I have also bought a few favourites like the mustard with carrot, with truffle and the one with garlic as gifts for family back home. They make lovely Christmas gifts, especially for those inclined to cooking.

A while back Maille sent me a gift hamper with their most popular products-  Dijon Originale, Honey Dijon and Wholegrain mustard and I've been thoroughly putting them to good use. They also sent me 2 recipes to use for the festive season, but i just couldn't resist making the cordon bleu wreath where mustard as a product would be put to its full use. Not to worry, I am definitely going to try the zesty carrot cake sometime soon and blog it too. I mean a cake that uses mustard, that should be pretty interesting I'm sure.

Do visit Maille for more festive inspiration including recipes, gourmet mustard flavours and gifts. The core range of delicious Dijon Originale, Wholegrain and Honey Dijon Mustards are available for purchase at most major retailers.

 

The Dijon Originale and Wholegrain have been used in this recipe, and its such a great addition. They bring forth the mustard presence, but not in an overpowering, annoying sort of way and you still get the other flavours coming through. The honey Dijon has been making its way through to many salads and its perhaps my most favourite of the three. So darn tasty, i can actually eat it on its own :)

I dont think i'd get to update the blog till i get back from India, so here's wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Serves- 3 to 4 as part of a main meal

 

For the filling
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs- 450 gms
Salt - to season
Pepper- to season
Garlic powder- 1/2 tsp

Maille Original Dijon mustard- 1 tbsp
Mayonnaise- 2 tbsp
Ham slices- 4 to 5, cut in cubes

1 Jus Rol Bake-it-Fresh Croissant can
Parmesan or Swiss cheese- 1/2 cup, grated
Milk- 2 tbsp (for glaze)

For the mustard cream sauce

 

Butter- 1 tbsp
Plain flour- 1 tbsp
Milk- 1 cup
Maille Multigrain mustard- 2 tbsp
Thyme- a sprig
Parmesan cheese- 2 to 3 tbsp*
Salt- to taste
Pepper- to taste

Cut the chicken thighs into small bite size pieces and cook in a saucepan with salt, pepper, garlic powered and a dash of water.
Cook till done and keep aside till slightly cool.
(You can also cook chicken on the bone, and if doing so, shred it into small pieces once cooked and cooled)
Once cool, stir in the Dijon mustard, mayo and ham slices.

 

Preheat oven to 180C and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Pop open the croissant can and lay out the croissants like a star, overlapping each other and as symmetric as possible. Make sure there aren't any gaps between the croissants.
Place the filling all around the ring and top with cheese.
Fold the croissants over and tuck under the wreath if possible or else, trim a bit and pinch the edge you fold over.
Give the wreath a milk wash and chuck into the oven for about 20 minutes.

 

While the wreath is baking, get on with the sauce.
Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat, and add the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes.
Add half the milk and whisk with the flour to form a smooth paste.
Pour in the remaining milk, the multigrain mustard, thyme, salt and pepper and  stir continuously until thickened.

Once the croissant wreath is out of the oven, cool on a cooling rack for a couple of minutes after which pour the mustard cream sauce over generously, slice and serve.

Notes: You can do a veg version of this with beans, carrot, corn or even add spinach or kale to the chicken and do a non cordon bleu version.

I have also tried the same with puff pastry, and its equally delicious, but its a pain to get it as a wreath.
The filling can be made a day ahead
I used cheddar cheese as i was out of parmesan

With thanks to Maille for the fabulous hamper.

Fish pie

 

Right. So the blog has been abandoned yet again and I'm not apologising for it because i know I'm going to abandon it again as I'm off to India for a long holiday in December. Blogging has taken a back seat, or rather no seat at all with work and Chaiparty and the like. Plus, some of these aggressive bloggers have made it all about how many products they get to review, how many likes they get on facebook and its become dramatically competitive. Bad experiences with bloggers have taught me to steer clear of that whole scenario. the past couple of weeks i kept reaching out to this blog of mine for recipes and it made me realise all over again why i started blogging. So in a tiny attempt to get my blogging mojo back, i thought I'd post a favourite.

So anyways, its bloody cold here, like so flippin cold, I don't even want to step out. I have been making a lot of stews and bakes for dinner and this fish pie was the outcome on one such cold evening. I am so not a seafood fan, although these days i can tolerate it a lot more than before and Ro says i secretly love a good sushi. Canned tuna is something i always have lying around in my pantry and potato, there is always potato at home- 2 main components of a fish pie, and so technically it should make its way through much more often, but it doesn't, and i have to listen to Ro whine about 'why is it that you don't make a really fishy fish pie.'

This is a slightly Indian-ised version of a traditional fish pie, one that is done back home. Tastes great nonetheless.

Serves 2 to 3 as part of main

For the mashed potato topping

Potatoes- 500 gms

Butter- 2 tbsp

Double cream- 75ml

Nutmeg- a generous pinch

Curry powder- 1/4 tsp (optional)

Salt and pepper- to taste

For the filling

Onion- 1 medium, finely chopped

Green chilli- 1, finely chopped

Ginger- 1/2 tsp, crushed

Garlic- 1/2 tsp, crushed

Curry powder- 1 tsp

Tuna steak in sunflower oil- 150gms, drained

Canned Red Salmon- 150 gms, drained

Spinach- 200 gms

Salt and pepper- to taste

Oil- 1 tbsp

Eggs- 3, hard boiled and sliced into rounds

For the white sauce

Butter- 1 tbsp

Plain flour- 1 tbsp

Milk- 1 cup

Cheddar cheese- a handful + enough to sprinkle on top

Salt and pepper - to taste

Boil the potatoes with enough water or in a microwave oven till fork tender. 

Drain and mash with the butter and double cream along with the seasoning- nutmeg powder, curry powder, salt and pepper. The potato should be fluffy and smooth.

Make the filling by sauteing the onion, green chilli, garlic and ginger in a pan with oil.

Tip in the curry powder and the spinach and saute till the spinach has wilted and all its water has evaporated.

Add the tuna and salmon chunks. Break them down will mixing it into the onion.

Season with salt and pepper. 

For the sauce, melt butter in a sauce pan.

On low flame, add the plain flour and keep stirring, avoiding lumps. Once it is nicely mixed in, add the milk little by little, again making sure lumps are not formed. Keep flame on high once the entire milk is used up and then add the cheese, salt and pepper. Keep stirring till the sauce becomes thick and creamy. If you think it is too thick, add some more milk.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 175C

Into an oven proof casserole spoon in a layer of fish mix evenly. 

On top of that layer the eggs and pour the white sauce over this mixture. 

if you have more filling, keep layering till you finish it all up, and ending with the egg layer and white sauce poured over it.

Finally layer the mashed potato on top, fluff with a fork, sprinkle some cheese on top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

I used a piping bag and star nozzle to pipe the mashed potato on top.

Notes:Use any vegetable of choice like carrots, beans, kale etc

Make it a day ahead, refrigerate and bake for about 30 minutes.

If you are not using canned fish, then pre cook the fish with salt and pepper, flake it and then use in the recipe

Cheesy Mascarpone and Mozzarella meatball bake

 

I'm clearly in Italy mode still and have been whipping up some Tuscan dishes. The only dish we were quite glad to give a miss for a while were pizzas, but otherwise still enjoying a good pasta and bruschetta. This meatball bake ended up being so darn good, I finished almost half of it on my own. The sauce is really thick and dunking a good slice of bread into it and letting it soak for a while before savouring it, gosh, the thought is making me hungry again.

Serves 4 as a main dish

Ground beef- 500 gms

Onion-  1 small, finely chopped

Italian seasoning- 1 tbsp

Oregano- 1 tsp

Garlic powder- 1 1/2 tsp

Worcestershire sauce- 1 tsp

Pepper- to taste

Salt- to taste

Oil- 3 tbsp, or enough, to fry the meatballs

Onion- 1 large

Baby spinach- 3 cups

Chilli flakes- 1 tsp

Tomato based Pasta sauce- 1 cup

Mascarpone cheese- 100 + 100 to scatter

Garlic- 3 pods, grated

Salt- to taste

Mozzarella cheese- 100 gms, grated

Mix together the ground beef, onion, Italian seasoning, oregano, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper together in a mixing bowl. Either using your hands or a wooden spoon, but over work it or the beef turns brown. Bring together until just mixed.

Make small balls out of the mix, around the size of a small lime, and keep ready. I got 25 meatballs out of the mix.

Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the meatballs in batched, till just done. If the oil temperature is right, it would take you around 2  minutes per side for a batch of meatballs. Of course this is dependent on how big the meatballs are.

Drain on paper towels and continue frying all the meatballs.

Into the same pan, add more oil if needed, add the onions and baby spinach and cook till the spinach is wilted and all the water has evaporated.

Stir in the chilli flakes and pasta sauce. 

Spoon 100gms of the mascarpone cheese into the sauce and mix well.

Add the grated garlic and salt to taste and bring the whole sauce to a gentle boil. If you feel the sauce is too thick, add water to loosen it a bit.

Add the meatballs into the sauce and simmer for a couple of minutes and take the pot off heat.

Preheat oven to 180C and transfer the meatball mix into an oven safe casserole/baking dish.

Scatter around scoops of the remaining mascarpone cheese and grated mozzarella cheese. Try to spread it around evenly.

Place in the oven for about 20 minutes or till the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling.

Remove from the oven and keep aside for 10 minutes before dunking your crusty bread into it.

Notes: You can do the entire cooking and baking in a single pot if you use an oven safe container to do the frying, sauce and baking. I used my cast iron pan.

You can use any store bought pasta sauce or make your own and even omit the mascarpone if you dont want it to be creamy.

The bake freezes well.

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.

Beef rogan josh in a Staub Cocotte

 

Ever since we moved into our new house we've been talking of banishing our non stick Teflon pans and going all cast iron or stainless steel. We have been eliminating them bit by bit and the transition has been a bit of a challenge but i think its working and I'm slowly getting used to it.

My first cast iron cooking experience was with this gorgeous Staub 24cm Cocotte, the lovely people over at Zwilling UK sent over. I have been thoroughly enjoying my time with it, or rather getting used to cooking with it and I'm very happy to have it as part of my new kitchen. If like me you do like a bit of colour, then look no further because Staub Cocottes come in a range of colours from cinnamon to basil to cherry red to graphite grey. etc Those who know me, also know my obsession with the colour yellow so no surprises there when i opted for the mustard colour Cocotte. It arrived promptly on time and i got cooking with it the very same day. 

One thing i had to get used to was the weight of the cast iron pot. Having dealt with light weight thin stainless steel pots and such, the weight of the cast iron pot was a bit of a shock in the beginning, but i soon got the hang of it especially once i realised how the weight works to your favour while cooking. It also retains heat really well which also helps with cooking food evenly. I also noticed that all the dishes i made in the Staub cocotte was done at a much lower temperature than i usually do. For example, if i was cooking previously on the heat mark 7 on my ceramic hob, with the Staub i was doing it on heat mark 4, sometimes even reducing it down to 3 because of the heat retention and things like onions and garlic getting burnt. I agree it does take a while to get used and I'm still experimenting with what heat settings work well for what. The point is, energy consumption has reduced drastically, and my husband who was sceptical about this whole cast iron cooking is now absolutely impressed and sold on the idea.

Another excellent feature about the Staub Cocotte is the heavy lid with small spikes on them which act as a natural baster. The water drops back into the pot keeping your meat moist and this to me is a great plus point. When i usually slow cook meat, i have to keep adding water every now and then to keep the meat moist and also to prevent the food from burning or sticking to the base because the water would evaporate quite quickly. This i think is my most favourite feature from Staub, the really heavy lid and the special drip structure makes sure no moisture escapes and whatever gets collected gets poured back into the pot. I loved how my rogan josh didn't need any refilling through the entire cooking process and also how my rice was cooked perfectly well without moisture escaping, and without going through all that drama of covering the lid with a cloth or paper towel.

When i made the rice, i was pretty sure it would stick to the bottom, but was pleasantly surprised it didn't. The enamel coating even though not completely non stick works to a great extent when it comes to cooking and cleaning, and even if it does stick a bit to the base, a bit of a soak easily removes it all. I have to try a biryani in the pot to see how the whole 'dum' aspect works, but before that i need to familiarise myself with the cast iron pot a bit more.

The only negative thing, well i cant quite call it negative really, is that the entire pot and lid becomes really hot while cooking. If you hold on to your pot while stirring and mixing, this becomes a bit uncomfortable. I managed to burn my hand twice, even after using a cloth but, this again is something i need to get used to, and nothing a pot holder cant solve. It however, doesn't affect the performance of the pot at all. Then there is of course the price which, lets be honest, is steep. When i was thinking of investing in a cast iron pan, i did a lot of research on various products in the market. and Staub definitely stood out. It is one of the best out there so think of it as an investment that would last you forever, and put it on your birthday gift list.

Coming to the recipe, I made a mutton rogan josh last year and it differs from this one quite a bit. I would like to think that is definitely the more authentic recipe and this one by Madhur Jaffrey is a bit more Anglicised, if i may call it that. But it works, its absolutely flavourful and we've been making it for years now. 

Recipe adapted from here (serves 4 as part of main)

Ginger- 5cm piece, peeled

Garlic- 8 to 9 cloves, peeled

Oil- 4 tbsp

Beef- 700 gms (cut into 2 cm cubes)

Cinnamon sticks- 2 cm

Cardamom- 6 pods

Cloves- 6 pods

Bay leaf- 1

Whole peppercorns- 10

Onions- 200 gms, peeled and finely chopped

Coriander powder- 1 heaped tsp

Cumin powder- 1 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 2 tsp

Spicy chilli powder- 1 tsp (adjust according to heat)

Salt- to taste

Yoghurt- 6 tbsp

Warm water- 400ml

Garam masala- 1/2 tsp

Grind together the ginger and garlic with 2 tbsp water to make a fine paste.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a deep thick bottomed pot and on medium-high heat sear the beef cubes in batches till they are all brown. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium, add the remaining oil into the pot and throw in all the whole spices- cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf and peppercorns - and saute till they are fragrant for about 10 seconds, take care not to burn them.

Follow with onions and saute them for about 5 to 10 minutes or till they turn brown.

Tip in the ginger garlic paste and continue to fry till the raw smell goes

Add all the spice powders one after the other along with salt, and cook for about 5 seconds, just to remove the raw smell. If you think the mix is sticking to the pan and has a chance of burning, add in a tbsp or two of water with the spices and cook till you can no longer smell the raw masala.

In goes the fried meat along with all the juices. Mix well so all the masala gets coated on the meat.

Add the yoghurt one spoon at a time, and stirring it into the meat mix after each addition.

Pour in 400 ml warm water and bring to a boil, scraping the sides of the pot.

Cover with a heavy lid, reduce heat to the lowest and cook for about an hour or until the meat is tender. 

Keep checking in between to see if the water has reduced, and if the meat is sticking to the bottom add some more water, stir well and continue cooking closed.

Open the lid, check if the meat is cooked, add more salt if required, and if you can see a thin layer of oil on top, that's sign of a good rogan josh i believe. 

If you do think there is too much liquid, increase heat and let the curry boil away some of the liquid.

Just before serving stir in the garam masala and serve hot with some steamed rice.

Notes: Instead of cooking this on the hob top, you can finish off the curry in the oven at 180C for about 1-1.30 hrs. Just make sure you stir it every 10 minutes or so and check for liquid levels. My Staub Cocotte would do a perfect job for this as you wouldn't need to transfer it into another oven proof dish but can directly move this from the hob to oven.

You can make the same dish with mutton/goat/lamb as well. Cooking times may slightly vary though.

Over the years I've made my own changes to it. I add a generous dash of cream just after i put the garam masala, making this quite irresistible.

With thanks to Zwilling UK for the Staub Cocotte that was sent to me. All opinions are my own and no monetary compensation was offered in return for a positive review.

Bengali mutton curry

Right, so 3 months into 2016 and i muster up the effort to do a blog post. Well, i have my excuses. We moved into our new home end of December and then pushed off to India for a month. Came back to a house filled with boxes, no storage, no curtains and no enthusiasm. I should have been all thrilled and excited considering i was going to set up my new home but the constant arguments with Ro regarding what goes where, which colours suit better, why the earth is round etc etc made me lose interest in this whole scenario. So i just got on with life and left all my baggage right there (pun intended!) 

I think he kind of sensed the lack of interest, and pulled back a bit which is when i got in and absolutely took advantage. But even then i realised i kept asking him for opinions which in turn lead to more fights. Nisha, haven't you heard of something called taking decisions on your own??? Apparently not!! Anyways, I still have boxes strewn all over the floor, but its a bit more bearable now. I may have my own house, but tell me i can go back to Greenwich any day and I'd leave in a heart beat. I am so not cut out for suburban life and damn the owners who decided to sell that beautiful, beautiful apartment we spent 8 years in. (shedding a lil tear now).

The internet!!!! Since its a new built, internet has not been sorted out. We have been given a temporary solution and we seem to run out of the given allowance within a week. So uploading, editing pictures is an issue. This actually is a very lame excuse because im still on limited data and i managed a blog post!

Then there is Chaiparty, which is doing pretty well and keeping us all occupied. We had 2 Bengali feasts back to back because people were on wait list and its the first time i actually got to taste some of the traditional Bong food. S was the main chef and G and I were sous chefs, obeying her orders and trying hard to not goof up. I was so inspired by all that Bong-ness, I decided to give the mutton curry a go.

In spite of S giving me a run down of the procedure and the recipe, I still had to google a recipe and since it was my first time, decided to just stick to it. I'm going to write down her grandma's mutton curry recipe (which was a big hit at our supper club BTW) and make it the next time. We had this with steamed white rice, that's it! I had to give Ro the stare when he asked me 'aren't there any veggies to go with it.' Like seriously, after slow cooking the damn thing for close to an hour, he wants a side dish!!!

It was a very mutton-y curry, especially the gravy, but that could be because of the type of meat i got. The chunks of potato are simply fab and the curry tastes even better the next day. I am assuming this is a variation of the mutton curry known to Bengali households, and what they call kosha mangsho. Either ways, I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Recipe adapted from here (serves 3)

Mutton- 500gms (with bone and cut into small pieces)

Yoghurt- 4 tbsp

Lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste- 2 tbsp

Green chilli- 1, finely chopped (adjust according to taste)

Tomato paste- 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1 tsp

Garam masala- 1/2 tsp + 1/4 to sprinkle at the every end

Oil- 3 tbsp for the marinade + 3 tbsp for cooking 

Potatoes- 3 medium ones, peeled and cut into big chunks

Cinnamon- 1, 1 inch stick

Cloves- 3 to 4

Cardamom- 3 to 4

Black peppercorn- 8

Bay leaf- 1

Sugar- 1/2 tsp

Onion- 1 large, finely chopped

Salt- to taste

Marinate the mutton with the 9 ingredients below it (using only 3 tbsp of the oil).

Cover with cling film and marinate it in the refrigerator, overnight for best results, or at least for a minimum of 3 to 4 hrs.

Bring to room temperature before cooking.

In a pressure cooker heat the remaining 3 tbsp of oil and fry the potatoes they they brown around the edges. Drain on to paper towels.

Infuse the oil with the whole spices- cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, peppercorn and bay leaf.

Add the sugar and let it caramelise.

Throw in the onions and on medium heat cook till they turn a golden brown. This would take around 15 minutes or so.

Add the marinated mutton, mix it together with the onions and cook on medium-high heat till you see the water drying and the oil separating.

This process can take close to an hour so make sure you keep checking the meat in between and scraping off the base and edges so that the meat doesn't burn.

Once the meat becomes a dark brown in colour, and mostly dryish in consistency, add 1 cup warm water, the fried potatoes, salt to taste and cover and pressure cook for about 2 to 3 whistles or till the meat is completely cooked.

Serve hot with steamed rice or luchi- a poori like bread.

Notes: It is originally made with mustard oil which imparts a distinct flavour i presume. I didnt have any at hand.

If you don't own a pressure cooker, continue cooking the meat on medium heat, checking water in between and adding the potato towards the end.

A lot of oil gets released. So on day 2 i drained a bit. Sacrilegious i know!

Kerala beef biryani & Christmas traditions

 

Christmas is a month away- A MONTH AWAY- can you believe that?

Its too early to whine about resolutions and how fast this year went by,which i shall keep for my New Year post, so lets talk about food, and Christmas family traditions.

Christmas is a big deal for us back home, something i thoroughly miss after we moved to UK. Although we have tried to do something or the other on Christmas day with friends who are around, its never the same without family. Christmas was spent with cousins and aunts and uncles and started pretty early with a church service at the wee hours of the morning. Droopy eyed we'd still go to church without much fuss because we know we'd get to open presents after. After church we'd all go over to my paternal grandparents house where my grand mother would have prepared a breakfast fit for the kings. But before we sat down to breakfast we'd open all our gifts, which of course was the most favourite part. Breakfast would be elaborate with a Kerala special called appam (hoppers as its commonly known here) served with chicken or mutton stew and there would also be loads of sides like boiled eggs, steamed plantains and this and that. I cant ever remember my grand mother entertaining guests with just two or three dishes, she'd go all out, and every one of them delicious.

We'd have relatives or friends dropping by and they would all be given fruit cake (equivalent of the Christmas pudding) and home made sweet sweet wine. Lunch would follow soon after with a biryani and a side of raita, pappadum, cutlets (croquettes), fish fry etc etc. All home made. It would stretch on for a couple of hours, with non stop banter, Christmas carols in the background, and finally end with dessert which would either be a payasam (which is a sweet milk pudding with vermicelli) or caramel custard or something similar. We'd all be stuffed by then and would be calling dibs on which sofa or bed we'd want to plonk on.

 

These are all such fond memories of home during Christmas. Its not the same now. Of course the appam and the biryani's are all very much omnipresent, but its no longer a big gathering with cousins and family as we are all spread around the world now. I feel terribly home sick around Christmas time and give Ro quite a hard time about it.

Beef biryani is not something that is made on Christmas day- its usually a chicken or a mutton biryani- but i thought I'd give a twist to tradition with a beef version, which is just as good. The recipe may look long and a bit intimidating for first timers, but its actually not that cumbersome, especially if you manage to make the beef curry a day or two in advance. Do read my notes.

Every family has a Christmas tradition, but if you are looking for something different this time around, then check out the Waitrose Christmas page which has a round up of traditions from around the world accompanied by recipes (Mixing Gorgonzola cheese with Prosecco, now that's a combination i thought never existed!).

Food, in the end, in our own tradition, is something holy. Its not about nutrients and calories. Its about sharing. Its about honesty, its about identity.' Louise Fresco

Kerala Beef Biryani (Serves 4 to 5 generously, as part of main) 

 

To marinate

Beef- 1 kg, diced

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Garam masala- 1 tsp

Pepper powder- 1 tsp

Yoghurt- 4 tbsp

Salt- to taste

For the masala

Oil- 2 tbsp

Onions- 2 large, roughly chopped

Curry leaves- 2 sprigs

Ginger- 2 1/2 tbsp, peeled and roughly chopped

Garlic- 2 1/2 tbsp, peeled and roughly chopped

Green chillies- 3 to 4 (increase or decrease as per tolerance level)

Tomatoes- 2, finely chopped

Garam masala- 1 tsp

Chilli powder- 1 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder- 2 tsp

Fennel powder- 1/2 tsp

Biryani masala powder- 1 tsp (optional)

Mint leaves- 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Coriander leaves- 1/2 cup, finely chopped

Water- 1/2 to 3/4th cup

Khus Khus (white poppy seeds)- 1 tbsp, soaked in water

For the rice

Ghee- 2 tbsp

Cloves- 5 pods

Cardamom- 5 pods

Cinnamon- 2, 1 inch sticks

Star anise- 1

Bay leaves- 2

Basmati rice- 3 1/2 cups (I used Tilda long grain rice)

Water- 7 to 8 cups

Salt- to taste

Lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp

For garnishing

Ghee- 3 tbsp

Onions- 1/4 cup, julienned

Cashew nuts- 2 tbsp

Coriander leaves- 1/4 cup

Marinate the beef with all the ingredients under the 'to marinate' section. Keep aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Grind together the ginger, garlic and green chillies.

Soak the khus khus in water for about 15 minutes, and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Wash and soak the rice in cold water for about 30 minutes.

Also get the garnish ingredients ready by heating the ghee in a pan and frying the onions and cashew nuts, separately till they turn golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and keep aside.

Into a pressure cooker pour the ghee. 

Keeping the heat on medium, add the chopped onions and curry leaves and cook till they turn a light brown in colour. This could take around 10 to 12 minutes.
Add the crushed ginger-garlic-chilli paste and continue cooking till the raw smell disappears.

Add the tomato and cook till they turn mushy and the oil starts to slightly separate.

Stir in all the spice powders- garam masala, chilli powder, coriander powder, fennel powder and biryani masala (if using).
Season with salt, saute for about 2 minutes, and then tip in the marinated beef and all its juices.

Add the mint and coriander leaves, give a good stir and then pour in about 1/2 cup water. 

Bring to a boil, and close the cooker.
Put the weights on once the steam comes and cook the beef on medium heat for about 4 to 5 whistles or till the beef is completely cooked.
Wait for the steam to die on its own and then open the lid.
If you feel the gravy is too loose, then slow cook it till you feel its thick-ish. Alternatively, if you feel there is not enough gravy then add some more water. Remember you need enough water to mix with the rice and make it moist.
Stir in the ground khus khus, check for salt, add more if needed and take the meat off heat.

 

While the beef is cooking get the rice ready.

In a large pot (enough to hold around 8 cups of water) heat the ghee.

Throw in the whole spices and sauté for a couple of seconds, just to get the aromas going, on medium heat. Put a kettle of water to boil at this point.

Add the drained rice and fry for a couple of seconds.

Add about 7 to 8 cups of water to the rice followed by salt and lemon juice. Stir well and wait for it to boil on high heat.
Once the water starts boiling, time it and cook the rice to an almost al dente form, for about 6 to 8 minutes maximum on a rolling boil.
Keep stirring in between, but make sure the rice doesn't break and get over cooked.
Drain immediately into a colander.

To assemble, smear the bottom of a large heavy bottomed pan with ghee. Use left over ghee from frying the cashew and onions.
Spread a layer of rice and then sprinkle half a tsp each of the chopped coriander leaves, fried onions and cashew over the rice
Top with a layer of the beef curry. Spread it out as gently as possible.

Tip in the remaining rice, spread it out and sprinkle the remaining biryani masala powder and coriander leaves. Continue the layers till you run out of both, but with the rice layer right at the top.

Close with a tight lid, making sure no steam escapes, reduce heat to the lowest possible and let it warm up for about 10-15 minutes.

When done, scatter around the remaining fried onions and cashews and serve hot with some raita, pappad and pickle.

 

Notes: The beef curry can be made a day or two in advance, refrigerated and used as required for the biryani. In fact its a better option because the curry would taste absolutely delicious once the masalas have caught on.
The rice i use got cooked to perfection in exactly 5 minutes, so keep a close watch and make sure you don't over cook it. If you can comfortable with the absorption method with the exact quantity of water used, please do that instead
It is a spicy one, so reduce the green chillies to 2 if you are not a spice fan. I used birds eye chilli
If you can get hold of beef on the bone, nothing like it. I shall do so the next time.

Instead of using the biryani masala powder you can also use normal curry powder in its place.

You can do the layering in the oven as well. Arrange it in an oven proof bowl and warm in an oven preheated at 150C for about 20 minutes.
Freeze the remaining biryani in a freezer proof container. To thaw, either transfer it to the top compartment of the fridge and let it thaw over night or take it out and leave on the counter for it to thaw by evening. Tip the contents into an over proof bowl and let it heat in an oven preheated at 200C for about 15 minutes. 
If you don't own a pressure cooker, you can slow cook the beef in a heavy bottomed pan till done. Just keep a check on it at intervals, keep stirring in between and add water as required.

Tomato and shallot raita

 

Yoghurt- 1 cup
Green chilli- 1/2 of one, finely chopped
Chaat masala- 1/2 to 1 tsp + enough to garnish
Salt- to taste
Tomato- 1 small, finely chopped
Shallot- 1 small, finely chopped
Coriander leaves- 1 tsp

Add a few table spoons of water to the yoghurt and whisk to make it a bit loose.
Stir in the salt, chaat masala and green chilli
Add the tomato and shallots, give it a good stir and just before serving garnish with coriander leaves and a generous sprinkle of chaat masala.

With thanks to Waitrose online for sending me a Waitrose gift card which I used to purchase my ingredients. 

Sri Lankan beef smore

 

This beef pot roast of sorts has been quite popular. I served it at a Christmas party a couple of years ago and got some good reviews and the recipe has been passed on to friends and family over the years. I made it so often for a while and then decided to go off it for the longest time. I find something i like and i eat it or make it till i get sick of it and then not look it at forever. This was something like that, only I went back and made it again last week and fell in love with it all over again. I had a good enough reason too...

...a gorgeous piece of meat from Donald Russell, Britain's leading mail order meat supplier. They are based in Aberdeenshire and guarantees the best-tasting meat you'll ever find. From traditional cuts of naturally reared beef, pork and lamb to more contemporary ones like game and veal, they have quite a wide range of products. They also have a unique collection of marinades for different kinds of meat, which is worth checking out when you've run out of ideas to impress.

My handsome piece of meat came nicely packed in a chilled box, shock frozen and i removed it immediately and transferred it into my freezer. It was a large thick piece of meat, so i had to thaw it at room temperature for quite a bit of time. The quality of meat was excellent and i can safely say, one of the best so far. We paired the beef dish with a full bodied red wine, and mashed potato and vegetables to soak up all the gravy. It was so difficult to make the end product look nice in the picture. But trust me it tasted fabulous.

Recipe adapted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey (serves 4 as part of main meal)

 

Beef shoulder/ brisket meat- 1kg, tied as a roast

Salt- to taste

Pepper- to taste

Coriander seeds- 4 tsp

Cumin seeds- 1tsp

Fennel seeds- 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds- 1/4 tsp

Oil- 3 tbsp

Cinnamon stick- 1, 2 inch piece

Cardamom- 3 pods

Cloves- 3 pods

Onion- 1 large, finely chopped

Ginger- 1 tsp, peeled and finely chopped

Garlic- 1 tbsp- peeled and finely chopped

Chilli powder- 1 tsp

Tomato paste- 1 tsp, diluted in 1/4 cup water

Red wine vinegar- 2 tbsp

Chicken stock- 1 1/2 cups

Coconut milk- 1 cup

Pat dry the piece of meat and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.

Dry roast the coriander, cumin, fennel and fenugreek seeds for about 2 to 3 minutes or till fragrant, keep aside to cool and then grind to a fine powder.

Heat a pressure cooker over medium-high heat and sear the meat on all sides, to tap in all the flavour. Transfer to a plate and rest.

Reduce heat to medium and into the same pressure cooker add the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and sauté for a couple of seconds, making sure you don't burn them.

Add the onions, ginger and garlic and continue sautéing till the onions turn a golden brown and the raw smell from the garlic and ginger disappears, around 7 to 8 minutes on medium heat.

Add the ground masala powder and chilli powder and stir well.

Pour in the diluted tomato paste and continue to stir, till oil slowly starts appearing on the sides.

Add the red wine vinegar and chicken stock at this point and bring to a gentle boil.

Check for salt and add if needed

Carefully place the seared meat , along with any juices, into the gravy, ladle over some of the liquid and close the pressure cooker.

Wait for steam to appear and put on the weights. Reduce heat to low and cook for about an hour.

You will have to play this by ear because cooking times depend on the cut of meat and your pressure cooker. For me, one hour was perfectly fine, in fact 50 minutes to be precise, as the meat was almost fall off consistency.

Open the cooker and stir in the coconut milk.

Bring to a boil and turn off the heat.

Transfer the meat to a chopping board and slice lengthwise.

Place on a serving tray/ bowl, pour over the gravy and serve with crusty bread or mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables like how we did :)

Notes: Original recipe calls for slow cooking in an oven, covered, at 175C for 2 1/2 hours, while basting and tuning at intervals.

I'm thinking this recipe would be just as fine with stewing beef pieces.

With thanks to Donald Russell for sending me the gorgeous piece of meat.