food i make

Oven Roasted Chicken

2012-02-03T15:25:00.000-08:00

(Prep time 20 mins)

(Marinade time 1 1/2 days)
(Bake time 1 1/2 hours)
(Serves 4-6)
Ingredients

Brine:
Habanero peppers 3 (whole)
Allspice berries 10
Cloves 10
Peppercorns 1 Tsp
Bay leaves 3
White vinegar 1 cup
Kosher salt 1 cup
Ice cold water 1 gallon

Blend the habanero peppers and some of the water, say maybe a cup, in a blender. The idea is to juice the chilies so that the chicken can absorb the flavor better.
Add this to the rest of the water.
Mix in salt, vinegar and the remaining spices.
Keep refrigerated.

TIP: Nice info on brining.

Compound butter:
Unsalted butter 4 Tbs (softened at room temp)
Juice of 2 limes
Dried rubbed sage 1 tsp
Dried rosemary 1 tsp
Dried thyme 1 tsp

Combine all the above ingredients really well and refrigerate for 15 mins to firm up a little bit but don't let it become rock solid.

TIP: Most of the butter melts and falls out, but for an even lighter version skip the butter all together and use just the herbs and sprinkle the lime juice on top of the skin.

Spice rub:
Cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp
Coarse ground pepper 1/2 tsp
Paprika 1/2 tsp

Combine all the spices in a bowl and keep aside.

Method

You will need lots of room in your refrigerator and a very BIG pot.
Soak whole bird in brine for 24 hours, it should be fully submerged in water. Keep refrigerated.
After 24 hours place the chicken on top of a wire rack and drain for 6 hours in the fridge.
The skin will become very dry.
Place the chicken breast side up, use your index finger to get beneath the skin and loosen it, try to reach and loosen the skin on the legs too. Be gentle so you don't puncture the skin. Take some compound butter and try to push it in as much as you can beneath the skin. Once the butter is under the skin you can massage the top of the skin and help it reach nooks and crannies.
This is great video to understand the process better.
Sprinkle cayenne, pepper and paprika on all sides of the chicken.
Wrap the chicken in saran wrap.
Marinade in fridge for 6-8 hours.
Remove the saran wrap and let the bird rest uncovered on the countertop for 20 mins before baking.
Stuff the chicken with a small hand full of whole garlic cloves and a small handful of onion quarters.
Then truss the chicken with some cooking twine.

IMPORTANT: Don't stuff the chicken while it's marinading because bacteria will accumulate in the cavity. And don't stuff it too much because the chicken won't cook completely, the cavity should only be filled one thirds.

You will need to adjust the rack in your oven to make sure that the top of the chicken is atleast 6-8 inches away from the heating element.
Rub some olive oil, about 2 Tbs, all over the chicken.
Place the chicken on top of a wire rack and inside a baking dish to catch all fluids and fat.
Bake for 30 mins 400 degrees breast side up.
Use a large towel to protect your hands and flip the chicken breast side down and bake for another 30 mins.
Turn it breast side up again and continue baking for the last 30 mins.
(Overall cook time is 1 1/2 hours at 400 degrees)
To preserve juiciness it is very important to let the chicken rest for 20 mins on the countertop before you cut it.
I served this on top of some roasted root vegetables but I am sure it could work well with some thick cut french fries, grilled veggies, a nice rice pilaf or a leafy salad if you prefer.
The roses were edible and made out of potatoes and yams, I will post a video about that soon sometime.
Hope you like this and give it a try.
Peace.
:-)

Baked Trout in Banana Leaves

2012-01-24T00:24:00.000-08:00

♥ healthy

(prep time 15 mins)
(cook time 40 mins)
(serves 6 ppl)
Ingredients

Fresh whole rainbow trout 6 med sized (scales, heads and tails removed)
Stewed tomatoes 1 16oz can
Garlic 4 cloves chopped fine (about 2 Tbs)
Yellow onion sliced thin 1/2 cup
Green chilies 2 med (sliced thin) *optional
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Roasted cumin powder 2/3 tsp
(Dry roast some cumin in a single layer in a frying pan on med high heat., stir occasionally to ensure even browning. Remove from the heat when the cumin turns a very dark almost blackish color. Allow this to cool and then grind)
Salt
Banana leaves 6 pieces each roughly a 10 inch square * use aluminum foil instead
(I was able to get frozen leaves from Uwajimaya however you can get them fresh from Viet Wah sometimes)

Method

Combine the salt, pepper and cumin in a small bowl.
Sprinkle the fish on both sides with this blend, also season inside the belly cavity.
Stuff the cavity of the fish with slices of onions. garlic and chilies.
Close the fish and spoon some tomatoes along with the juice over the fish.
Wrap in banana leaves.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Bake the wrapped fish for about 40-50 mins or until done.

Corn Salsa

Corn kernels sliced off from 3 cobs
(Each cob was wrapped in a moist towel and then microwaved on high for 4 mins , you could of course grill it for a better flavor)
Black olives chopped 4-5 Tbs (I used black cerignola olives)
Red onions chopped fine 3-4 Tbs
Red bell pepper chopped 2/3 cups
Pear 1/2 chopped fine
Flat leaf Italian parsley 4 Tbs (chopped fine)

Toss all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with the dressing.
Refrigerate for a few hours for the flavors to develop.

Dressing

Olive oil 2 Tbs
Pineapple juice 3 Tbs
Apple cider or white wine vinegar 3 Tbs
Garlic clove 1 whole
Sugar 3/4 Tbs
Pepper 1/4 tsp
Salt 1/3 tsp

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend for about 30 seconds.

Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread

2012-01-12T00:12:00.000-08:00

(prep time 15 mins)
(bake time 1 hour)
Ingredients

All purpose flour 2 cups
Baking soda 1 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Butter 1/2 cup (melted)
Light brown sugar 3/4 cup
Eggs 2 large (lightly beaten)
Really really ripe bananas 4 large (about 1 1/2 cups mashed)
Cinnamon 1/2 tsp *optional
Heavy cream 2 Tbs
Walnuts 1/4 cup (coarsely chopped)
Dark chocolate bits 1/4 cups ( I used moonstruck dark chocolate 68% cacao)

Directions

Lightly grease a loaf pan with butter and dust with some flour.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Whip together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl.
Add and mix the eggs and the heavy cream.
Now gently stir in mashed bananas, walnuts and chocolate bits.
Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Tap the pan on the counter top a few times to release air bubbles.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 60 to 65 min.
Or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack.

The above recipe is a modified version of this recipe.

Manaqish bi'l Za'tar

2011-12-27T00:43:00.000-08:00

A very popular and delicious flatbread from the mideast.

Wonderful for lunch or something to snack on.

(prep time 2 hours)

(bake time 3 mins per flatbread)

(serves 6-8)

Topping

Za'tar 4 Tbs
(this spice blend usually contains sesame seeds, marjoram, thyme and sumac)
Olive oil 6-8 Tbs
Sumac 1 tsp *optional - Za'tar contains sumac but I like to add a little extra

Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

Dough

All purpose flour 2 cups + some for dusting
Olive oil 2 Tbs
Whole milk 3 Tbs
Sugar 1 Tbs
Salt 1/2 Tbs
Active dry yeast 1 tsp
Warm water 2/3 cup

Combine all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well.
Add the oil and rub it in.
Now pour in the water and knead to make a dough.
I use my hands so it take me about 8-10 mins, I am sure in a food processor it will be quicker.
Transfer the dough in a lightly greased bowl and lightly cover it with saran wrap.
Let this sit in a warm dry place.
In about 2-3 hours the dough will be double in size.
Punch it down and sprinkle some extra flour, 2-3 tablespoons, and knead for another 2-3 mins.
Divide the dough into 8 parts.
Roll them into 7" round.
Spread some Za'tar on each round and bake until cooked.

How to bake

I have a pizza stone that I love to bake on.
Both the stone and the oven needs to be super hot to be effective.
So I start by setting the stone on the second shelf of the oven and then I pre-heat the oven to the highest setting, 550 degrees in my case.
I turn the oven off and turn on the broiler on high and let the stone sit under it for 10 mins.
Now I am ready to bake on it.
Before you start, turn the broiler to the low setting.
Slide out the shelf and place the bread on top of it, I like to use a paddle for this.
The bread will be cooked in 3 mins but keep an eye on it.
Use tongs or the paddle to remove the cooked bread from the stone.

Hope you like.

Tamagoyaki

2011-12-16T11:16:00.000-08:00

卵焼き

Behold - Tamagoyaki
A Japanese rolled omelet.
I learned how to make it from this video.
The ingredients were in the subtitles and I guesstimated the amount.
I got the pan from Daiso for about $2. It was smallish, roughly 6" by 4", and I was skeptical on how well it would work but it was able to handle 3 eggs okay, although something bigger would have been much better.

Ingredients

Eggs 3 Large
Mirin 1 Tbs
Light soy sauce 2 Tbs
Dashi 1/4 cup
(I got dashi in powdered form and I added about a tsp of it to 1/4 boiling water and then let it cool down)
Pinch of salt
I also added 1/2 plain white sugar
Oil for brushing

Method

Just mix everything together in a large bowl.
I didn't pass the eggs through a sieve like in the video.
I took about 3 Tbs worth of the egg mixture and spread it over the hot pan.
Once the egg was slightly set I rolled it and then added more batter.
Kept doing that until I ran out of the batter.
Occasionally I would have to hold the pan away from the heat because it would get too hot.
And as the rolled eggs started to build up I had very little pan space left so it helped to lift up the cooked eggs a bit and let the uncooked eggs get beneath.
Here is a little video of me making it.
Definitely takes some getting used to.
It was tricky folding it, specially as the roll got fatter probably because the pan was too small.
I hope to get better at it and maybe for next time I will divide the batter and make 2 rolls :-)

Somali Sambusa

2011-12-03T16:30:00.000-08:00

(prep time 20 mins)
(cook time 10 mins)
(makes about 15 sambusas)
Ingredients

Ground lamb 1 Lbs
Garlic 2 tsp (minced fine)
Serrano chili 1 large (chopped fine) *optional
Flat leaf Italian parsley 1 cup chopped
Green onions (chopped) 1/3 cup
Ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp
Ground cardamom 1/8 tsp
Ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp
Coarse black pepper 1/4 tsp
Ground cloves 1/8 tsp
Sumac 1/2 tsp
Olive oil 3 Tbs
Canola oil for deep frying

I used samosa wrappers from KG Pastry for wrapping these. This wrapper is different from the Indian samosa wrap. I was able to buy it only at Halal Meats (the tiny store inside the plaza next to Apna Bazar in Bellevue)

NOTE:
I also folded a few of these in wonton wrappers and I have to say there is a difference.The wonton wrappers were much thicker than the samosa wrappers. And after frying the wontons seemed harder and the samosa wrappers seemed very delicate and more flaky.

TIP: If you'd rather bake these instead of deep frying phyllo dough might work great. However using phyllo might not save you calories because lots of butter goes between the layers unless you used a low cal spray.

Method

Start by heating some oil in a frying pan.
Add the garlic and cook for about 30 to 45 seconds.
Add the beef, chilies and all the seasonings.
Cook until beef is done about 10-12 mins and make sure to break any lumps of meat with the back of a spatula.
Mix in the green onion and the parsley.
Allow this mixture to come to room temperature before you can start wrapping them.
I wished that the wrappers should have been atleast 12 inches long but the ones I had were only 8.5 inches.
So I wet the edges with some water and glued two wrappers together to make one long one.
Take about 2 Tbs of the mixture and wrap them in triangles.
Here is the video I learned from, however I just used plain 'ol water to seal the sambusa ends and not a paste like in the video.
Deep fry for 6 mins or until golden brown.
Super delish!

Scones, blackberry jam and clotted cream

2011-11-15T17:54:00.000-08:00

I had been stuck on the idea of clotted cream for the past few days. It's a mildly sweet, spreadable thick cream, somewhat of a cross between unsalted butter and heavy cream. I had it with homemade scones and jam for breakfast but this meal is usually enjoyed in the afternoon with a cup of tea as a part of the famous cream tea which is very popular all across the UK.

It's next to impossible to get your hands on fresh clotted cream here in the US. The closest thing is a processed version (found in a tiny jar in the picnic food section of Cost Plus World Market) or Double Devon Cream (can be bought at Cost Plus World Market, Wholefoods and the The British Pantry). However I really wanted to taste the real deal and me being somewhat of a food nerd and after being told that the idea "sounds jolly good" I decided to make it in my tiny kitchen :-)

Thanks to Google my hunt for raw unpasteurised cream was surprisingly short. I was able to locate a depot in Bellevue and all I had to do was make a call and collect it on Thursday morning. It's hard to describe the feeling I felt when I was holding a pint of raw cream from Jersey cows in my hands :-) A pint of cream took me over eight hours and I got about a third cup worth of clotted cream. The process for making this is very similar to making malai probably because clotted cream IS malai. However there is a HUGE difference in taste and texture between the two maybe because clotted cream is made from a better quality of milk or cream.

The method is simple. Just pour the cream in a wide skillet, cover and cook on very low heat for several hours until a thick crust forms on the top. That yellowy, oily crust is clotted cream scrape it off and collect it in a small bowl. I found this recipe for clotted cream which makes it in an oven. However I made it on the simmer setting on my electric stovetop and scrapped off the crust every hour or so. The crust will form several times. In the end I had very little cream left in my skillet, I couldn't let it simmer further without making it stick to the skillet.

During my search for a recipe I found that people usually compare the taste of clotted cream with mascarpone, ricotta, heavy whipped cream or some mix of these ingredients. And after tasting it, it is my very humble opinion that clotted cream is also comparable to softened khoya - Milk solids made from evaporating milk, an ingredient very commonly used in Indian/Pakistani desserts and can be easily bought from an Indian grocery store.

Scones

I followed a recipe from America's Test Kitchen, a version of it can be found here.
However I never used any currants or dried fruit and cut the recipe in half.
For the sake of completion I have copied the recipe below with the quantities that I used.
Dreamy Cream Scones
America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook
1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F.
2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.
3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Transfer dough to large bowl.
4. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Form scones by either a) pressing the dough into an 8-inch cake pan, then turning the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, cutting the dough into 8 wedges with either a knife or bench scraper (the book’s suggestion) or b) patting the dough onto a lightly floured work surface into a 3/4-inch thick circle, cutting pieces with a biscuit cutter, and pressing remaining scraps back into another piece (what I did) and cutting until dough has been used up. (Be warned if you use this latter method, the scones that are made from the remaining scraps will be much lumpier and less pretty, but taste fine. As in, I understand why they suggested the first method.)
6. Place rounds or wedges on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Blackberry Jam

Blackberries - Frozen 1 lbs

Sugar - 2 1/2 cups

Juice of half a lime

Apple peels and cores for natural pectin (I had saved some from a pie I had made a few days earlier)

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot.

Turn on the heat and allow the berries to welt.

Cook for about 5 mins and pass the fruit through a seive to remove seeds and apple peels.

Add the seedless fruit back into the washed pot and continue to cook for another 15 mins on medium high heat or until the mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup.

Pour into a clean jar and seal.

Finish within a week.

Apple Pie

2011-11-11T11:11:00.001-08:00

Years ago, when I was a student, I used to really enjoy apple pie from a bakery (forgot the name) in Islamabad. It had coconut flakes and raisins mixed in with the apple filling.

I have been feeling very nostalgic lately and decided to make an apple pie similar to the one I used to love. Good 'ol times, how much I miss it all :-(

I used a small 7" pie pan, so three small apples were enough to fill it up. While I was searching for a great recipe I found this picture and thought it looked really nice. So I tried to emulate the look using apple and leaf shaped mini cookie cutters. I also used the recipe on that page as a guide.

(prep time 20 mins if using prepared pie crust)
(bake time 45 mins)
(enough for 4 ppl)
Ingredients

2 Pie crusts or use store bought
3 Apples - small size (granny smith, honey crisp, red delicious)
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 Tbs Heavy cream
2 Tbs Butter (chopped into small pieces)
1 Tbs Flour
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 cup Brown sugar
1/8 cup Regular sugar
1/3 cup Coconut flakes-sweetened *optional
1/3 cup Raisins - I used golden raisins *optional
1 egg - for eggwash

Method

Line the bottom of a buttered and floured pie dish with one of the pie crusts.

Use a knife to cut off the over hang.

Set aside and refrigerate the pie dish.
Peel and core the apples and slice them thinly.

Put the slices in a large bowl and sprinkle some lime juice on them to prevent browning.

Add the sugars, spices, flour, cream, butter, coconut and raisins and combine well.

Pour this mixture into the pie dish and cover with the decorative crust.
I saved a few slices and arranged them in a neat pattern on the top layer. I figured it would look nice because it will show through the cut outs. But now I think it would have looked better had I not done that, specially because some of the apple pieces got really brown.

Apply some eggwash on top of only the crust and bake in a preheated 450 oven for 15 mins.

Then reduce the temperature to 350 and cook for another 30-45 mins.

I had to cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil to prevent over browning.

I removed the foil in the last 15 mins of baking.
Let this sit for 30 mins at least.

You can eat this warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy.

Pecan Pie

2011-11-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ooey gooey good!

(makes one 10" pie)
(prep time 15 mins if using store bought pie dough otherwise and another hour or so)
(cook time 45 mins)
Ingredients

1 Pie crust or use store bought
2 Tbs Maple syrup
3/4 cup Light corn syrup
3/4 cup Light brown sugar
1/4 cup Heavy cream *optional
3 Large eggs (At room temperature and lightly beaten)
4 Tbs Butter (Melted)
1 3/4 Cups pecans or use walnuts for a walnut pie
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Combine the vanilla, salt, maple and corn syrup with the sugar.
Pour in melted butter and mix well.
Fold in the eggs.
Add the cream and whole pecans .
Pour this mixture in an unbaked pie shell.
Bake for 40-45 min in pre-heated 350 degree oven.
Or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
The middle would feel wobbly but it will set when cooled completely.
Let it cool down to room temp before eating.
Also taste great super chilled.

Chicken Pot Pie

2011-10-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

A wonderful delicious treat during the winters.
Warms you up inside out.
I love this with some cottage cheese and chopped Italian parsely on the side.

Ingredients

2 Pie Crusts (the bottom crust is blind baked for only the first 10 mins and then cooled)
You can always use store bought pie crusts to save on time.
However the above recipe is the most flakiest ever. Definitely try and make it if you have the time.

1 1/2 Chicken breasts - medium sized, skinless, boneless (cut into 1" pieces)
1 tsp Garlic (minced fine)
4 Tbs Onion (diced fine)
4 Crimini mushrooms (diced fine)
1 cup Carrots (sliced at a bias about 1/4" thick)
1 cup Celery (sliced at a bias about 1/4" thick)
1 cup Boiled potatoes (cut into 1" cubes)
1/2 cup Frozen Peas *optional
1 can Chicken stock
1 1/4 cup Whole Milk * see note below
1 tsp Thyme (dried)
1 tsp Tarragon (dried)
2/4 tsp Chili flakes *optional
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 Tbs Oil for cooking (I used canola oil)
Salt

For the roux:
3 Tbs flour
3 Tbs butter

For the egg wash:
1 Egg mixed in with 1 Tbs of water.

Method

Before getting started, you will need to blind bake the first pie crust.
See instructions here and here.
The recipe and method are exactly the same.
The only difference is that for the chocolate tart the crust was baked twice. However for this recipe I only baked the crust once for 10 minutes with the weights.

Blanche the carrots and celery by plunging them in boiling water for 2 mins and then plunging them into ice water right afterwards.
When the veggies have cooled down, drain them and set aside for later use.
Heat up some oil in a frying pan and cook the chopped onion until soft.
Add the garlic for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Now add the mushrooms and cook on a med high heat for about 4-5 mins or until the mushroom are cooked through.
Take out in a bowl and set aside.
Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a skillet and brown the chopped chicken on high heat until they are nice and light brown on the outside.
Season with salt, pepper, thyme, tarragon and chili flakes.
Now add chicken broth and milk to the pan.
Bring it all to a boil, reduce heat and cook the chicken for about 6-8 minutes or until cooked through.
In a separate frying pan melt the butter and add flour to it.
The roux will be used to thicken the broth.
Make sure you use equal parts fat and flour otherwise you might risk lumps in your sauce.
And depending on how you want the color of the sauce to be you can cook your roux till it's white, blonde or brown.
I cooked mine for about 1-2 minutes on med heat for a white roux.
Add this to the broth and stir gently until well combined.
Turn off heat.
Let this cool for about 15 mins and then gently fold in all the veggies.
Carrots, celery, potatoes, mushroom mixture and peas if you are using them.
Allow this to cool further and reach room temperature before pouring it into the blind baked pie shell.
The half baked shell and the cold sauce will ensure that the bottom crust will not turn soggy during baking.
Cover with the second pie crust.
Seal in the crust all around.
I don't like fancy edges on a chicken pie. So I don't bother fluting the edges, I just make sure that it looks neat.
Paint egg wash all over.
Cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil. This will protect then from browning too quickly.
Make a few vent holes in the center.
Bake for 45 mins in a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees.
Remove the aluminum foil in the last 15 mins of baking.
Let this rest for 20-30 minutes before digging in.
Enjoy.

*I perfer the sauce to be a bit on the runny side, this isn't.
However I adjusted the recipe that I shared above so that it will have more sauce.

But if you perfer less/thicker sauce then take out 1/4 cup of milk and add an additional tablespoon of roux.

Class today!

2011-09-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

Another great class.
Great people great food and lots of fun
Too bad I never got the recipe for "lefzeh"

Indian Camp Food: Day 1 (Meat lovers lunch)

2011-08-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

Cooking in little pouches made of heavy duty aluminum foil is a great way to cook outdoors!

You don't need to carry pots and pans or a grill, you can simply toss the packets on the embers in a fire pit.

The possibilities are numerous. You can be very imaginative with these. I perfer to assemble the pouches on location, but you can of course prepare them with various flavors at home, freeze them and be absolutely hands free on the camp ground.

I am sharing two types of Indian/Pakistani inspired chicken recipes below.

Before getting started, please read the about the shopping list right here.

Menu
Chicken Dopiaza
Chicken Jalfrezi
Vegetable Pulao

Chicken Dopiaza:

I cut up a breast and a half of chicken into approx 1 1/2" pieces.
Mixed in some fresh ground garlic, roughly a tsp, and froze it the night before.
Make sure the meat is thawed completely before you start cooking this.
Lay flat a large sheet of aluminum foil and arrange the chicken meat in a single layer on top of it.
Some fresh slices of onions and green chilies.
Add 2 Tbs of yogurt (optional), 4 Tbs of onion paste and 2 Tbs of tomato chutney.
Sprinkle some oil, salt, pepper, coriander, black cumin (added it later can't see it in the video) and chili flakes on top.

Mix it all well and wrap up snugly in 2 sheets of aluminum.
Cook on a medium grill for 30 to 40 mins turn sides once you are halfway into the cooking time.

Chicken Jalfrezi:

Very similar procedure as the chicken dopiaza.

I cut up a breast and a half of chicken into approx 1 1/2" pieces.

Mixed in some fresh ground ginger, roughly a tsp, and froze it the night before.

Lay the chicken on a flat piece of aluminum (shiny side in).

Add about 4 Tbs of chopped tomatoes and green bell peppers.

A few strips of green chilies.

I used 4 heaped Tbs of tomato chutney and 2 Tbs of onion paste.

Sprinkle some oil, salt, pepper, coriander, and chili flakes.

Mixed it all up and wrapper it up snugly.

See video on how to wrap i t up.

Cook for 30-40 mins on a grill, turn sides once in between!

Here is a demo on how I wrapped it all up.
If you are planning to cook this in a fire pit I would probably add a third layer of aluminum sheet to be very safe.

Vegetable Pulao:

Add some water (according to package instructions) in an aluminum loaf pan.
I had marked the loaf pan beforehand so I'd know exactly how much water I would need.
Season it with salt, black cumin and mix in the rice.
Cook on a grill alongside the chicken pouches.
Even though the package said 10 mins, It took the same amount of time as the chicken (30 mins)
Mix in the drained canned vegetables once cooked.

Finale:

Indian Camp Food:The Preperation

2011-08-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

This should be perfect for a weekend camping trip for two people.
I tried to keep the ingredient list as small as possible, with a little planning ahead you won't need to carry a bulky cooler. You can always use fresh vegetables if you can carry it easily. Whenever possible I got stuff that had little or no salt added to it.

Shopping List:

Canned mixed vegetables
Canned kidney beans
Canned potatoes
Canned chicken sausage
Fresh onion, tomato, bell pepper, 2 green chilies
PAM for grilling.
Some cooking oil (can't see in the picture)
6 eggs (can't see in the picture)
Thin Poha (flattened rice grains)
Uncle Ben's 10 min rice.
Assorted spices. I am a little nerdy when it comes to spices. I hate using the pre-mixed stuff. So I carried a few of my favorites in a 7 day pill box. Salt (I used kosher salt because it is coarser and won't spill easily out of the box), pepper, black cumin, fenugreek leaves, coriander powder, chili flakes, and nigella seeds.
Frozen meat. I froze all the meat the previous night and carried it with me in an insulated bag with a few ice packs.
Tomato chutney*
Onion paste** (2 medium sized red onions sliced thin, fried till dark brown and then ground up)

*You can use a jar of pre-made curry paste.
** Use already fried onions that you can get in a bag. You can find this easily in an Indian store, I am sure there is a name for that, but I can't seem to remember it at the moment.

Utensils:

Knife
Can opener
Propane Grill
Lighter
Tongs
Aluminum foil
I packed a sieve to drain the liquid from the canned veggies, but realised that you don't really need it.

P.S.
I really really wanted to make these videos while I was out, but I don't think I will get a chance to go camping before the summer ends :-(
So I made them anyways in my backyard just for you guys using only the utensils and ingredients listed above. I am sure you won't have a problem making any of these outdoors!

Tomato Chutney

2011-08-14T20:05:00.000-07:00

This is fairly easy to make.
Very versatile.

Large Roma tomatoes (chopped) 6
Whole dried red chilies 3-4
Salt 1 tsp
Canola oil 2-3 Tbs
White wine vinegar 1/4 cup
Heat some oil in a pan.
Add the tomatoes, the chilies and the salt all at once.
Cook for 45 min on medium high heat or until the tomatoes are mushy and well cooked.
Add the vinegar and cook for another 5-7 mins.
Blend well and store in a clean glass container.
Done.

Goat Chops

2011-08-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

This marks my 100th post!

Hurray hurray!

Ingredients

Goat chops about 10 pieces

Greek yogurt 1/3 cup

Garlic 2 Tbs (minced)

Ginger 1Tbs (minced)

Serrano chilies 3-4 medium size (cut into chunks)

White wine vinegar 2-3 Tbs

Roasted cumin powder 1 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder 2 tsp

Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp

Fennel seed powder 1/8 tsp

Cayenne pepper 2/3 tsp (adjust according to your preference)

Pepper 1/2 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Salt

Method

Combine all the ingredients together minus the salt and rub it over the goat chops.

We don't add salt to the marinade because it will draw out all the moisture from the meat.

Let this sit in the fridge over night or at least 4 hours.

Season with salt just before cooking.

Cook in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes at the level II setting (medium).

Remove the chops from any liquid that is left over from the yogurt.

Add some canola oil in a frying pan and fry the chops for about 1-2 mins per side on medium high heat.

We do this to add a nice brown color to the chops.
Great with plain yogurt and naan.

Enjoy :-)

Class today

2011-08-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic group of people!
Thanks so much Diane for all your help, you did a fantastic job!
As always had a blast.
Sharing some of the pics.
Cutest couple of the year Max and Oriana :-)

Class today

2011-07-14T22:44:00.000-07:00

:-)
I love doing this.

Phở - Vietnamese Noodle Soup

2011-05-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

I love Pho!

It's love in a bowl!

You need to love it just as much as I do for us to be friends!

Pho Than Brothers is hands down the best deal in town!

And they are 2 blocks away from me so I can go there anytime I want.

I would never make this at home... but I had some leftover chicken broth and some rice noodles in the back of my pantry, so I thought why the heck not.

I added some onion slices, rice noodles and shredded chicken to the broth.

Some bean sprout, lime, jalapenos slices and Thai basil on the side.

I prolly could have done a better job at this :-)

Megha's Paneer

2011-05-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

Uff.... I can't count the number of days when I have woken up CRAVING this incredible paneer! For the longest time ever I have always asked Megha to make it for me and then it got a lil embarrassing :-)
This is her recipe that I am sharing.
Trust me you won't regret making this!
Very easy, and extremely flavorful!
This is perhaps the only reason I am glad Samant doesn't eat onions (or so he thinks) :-D

(cook time 20 mins)
(serves 3-4)
Ingredients

Paneer 2 cups (cut into 1" cubes and lightly fried) Homemade tastes best!
Raw cashews 1/4 cup
Raw peanuts 1/4 cup
Sesame seeds 3 Tbs
Whole coriander seeds 1 Tbs
Whole dried chillies 2-3 (adjust to what taste buds like)
Yogurt 1/2 cup
Brown sugar or Jaggery 1 tsp
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek leaves - Kasoori Methi 2 tsp
Water 2-3 Tbs
Salt
Butter 2 Tbs

Method

You will need to roast some of the ingredients.
Place a large frying pan on medium high heat.
Begin with the chillies, peanuts and cashews and roast them for about 2 mins, stir them once or twice.
Add the sesame and coriander seeds and continue to roast for another 3-4 minutes or until all the ingredients are lightly toasted.
Let these cool a bit.
Add yogurt, water and use a blender to blend this into a coarse paste.
Return this to the frying pan and mix in the paneer cubes.
Season with salt, turmeric, sugar and fenugreek leaves.
Simmer on low for 5-8 mins. Stir once in between.
Turn off the heat and melt some butter on top.
Done!
Great with naan.

Pasta With Creamy Lemony Fish Sauce

2011-05-07T22:57:00.000-07:00

How gorgeous is this pasta? Each strip is a natural flavor from tomatoes, spinach, different colored bell peppers. I was so excited when I saw these. I decided to make a quick fish sauce to go along with it.

(prep time 20 mins)
(serves 2)
Ingredients

White fish (I used Dover sole, but halibut would be better) 1/2 lbs cut into large chunk
Garlic 1 Tbs (minced)
Juice from 1 large lemon
Chili flakes 1/2 tsp - use more or less if you prefer
Butter 1 Tbs
Cream 1/3 cup (I used 36% fat)
Pepper 1/8 tsp
Parsley leaves 2 Tbs (roughly chopped)
Salt

Method

Melt some butter in a frying pan.
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the fish and season with lemon juice, salt, pepper and the chili flakes.
Lower heat to medium and cook for 3 mins.
Add the cream and cook until the fish is done. Dover sole cooks really quick, about 3-4 mins.
Turn off heat and sprinkle the parsley leaves on top.
Serve along aside the pasta.

A word about the pasta

Add this pasta to salted boiling water. I also added a little lemon juice to the water to prevent the colors from fading. Boil for 12-14 and drain. Don't ever wash cooked pasta with water, instead pour a tablespoon of olive oil to make it glossy.

Guacamole

2011-04-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

Try this easy and yummy guacanole recipe for your next party.They taste and look fantastic with blue corn tortilla chips.

(prep time 15 mins)

(serves 3-4)

Ingredients

Hass avocados 2 ripe (cut into 1/2" chunks)

Jalapenos 1/2 Tbs (minced)

Red onions 1 1/2 Tbs (chopped fine)

Green onion 1/2 Tbs (chopped fine)

Fresh juice of 1 large Lime

Cilantro 2 Tbs (roughly chopped)

Salt

Combine everything together in a bowl.

Use the back of a fork to break some of the larger pieces of avocado but don't over do this, the guacamole should be a bit chunky.

Enjoy!

Firni

2011-04-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

Firni or "thoothiyan" in Urdu, a delicate rice pudding, silky and smooth MmmMMm
Very delicious and sometimes the only reason why I would attend a wedding back home :-) Well... for the paan aswell.... and the biryani too come to think of it!
My god! Isn't the food at weddings just superb?!!

Ingredients

Condensed milk 1 14oz can
Whole milk 2 cups
Cardamom powder 1/8tsp
Rice flour 6 Tbs
Water 1/2 cup
Crushed almonds 2-3 Tbs
Edible silver 2-3 leafs (3"x3" leafs) - optional

Special saucer:

The little saucers that you see in the picture I got from back home, you won't have much luck finding them here.

You can use unglazed terra cotta saucers that are sold in home improvement stores, just be sure they are lead free and food safe. The unglazed saucer will absorb extra moisture from the pudding and adds to the flavor as wells as texture of the product. I saw some at Michael's which I thought were ideal size and depth also saw some at Home Depot. You can get multiple tiny saucers or one large one about 10" diameter and at least 1 1/2" deep for this recipe. Soak the saucer in a tub of water overnight. Pat dry with a kitchen towel before pouring in the hot rice pudding.

You can use a regular 10" pie dish instead :-)
Method

Combine the condensed milk with the whole milk in a heavy base 2 quart pot.
Add the cardamom powder and mix well. Make sure the condensed milk isn't settled at the bottom of the pot because it will burn while boiling the milk.
Bring this condensed milk mixture to a boil. Stir occasionally to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
In a separate measuring cup combine the rice flour with the water and mix well to remove any lumps. Keep aside. Rice flour settles to the bottom, so you would need to stir again before pouring.
After the milk has come to a full boil, lower the heat so that the milk is gently simmering.
Pour the rice flour and water mixture in a consistent stream and stir continuously.
Cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat while stirring gently. The texture will thicken somewhat like a smoothie.
Pat dry the terra cotta dish with a kitchen towel and pour the rice pudding into the dish.
Allow to set in the fridge for 6-8 hours or overnight for the terracotta dish. (2-3 hours is enough if using a pie dish)
Once chilled, you can decorate with edible silver leaf and sprinkle some crushed almonds on top.

Enjoy :-)

My first Sashimi

2011-03-31T20:17:00.000-07:00

A lot of people who know me would know that I don't eat fish. I finally took the plunge with my friend and had Sashimi which is thinly sliced raw fish, no rice, no seaweed just raw fish! That's hardcore sushi!
It was so delicious, raw fish tastes better than cooked. No fishiness, no stinkiness just fresh fresh fresh goodness! I had salmon, tuna (my fav) and scallops.
Sharing a short/accidental video of my first bite :-)
Here's to new things that are to come!

Xiao Long Bao - Chinese Soup Dumplings

2011-03-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

A few days back I geared up to make Xiaolongbao, a Shanghainese dumpling filled with delicious soup and meat. I decided to make the skins from scratch so it took me an entire afternoon to form these. They came out very tasty but the amount of work that it took has led me to the conclusion that one should always go out for dim sum :-)

This is a recipe for an all chicken dumpling inspired from the ones at Din Tai Fung.

The prep time for the filling and dipping sauce is 10 mins. However pleating them can take a while specially if you are new at it. Cook time is very little, I needed to steam these (covered) for only 5 mins on high heat and they were done! You can easily make about 75 dumplings about 1" in diameter with this recipe.

Dough

I pretty much followed this recipe for the dough. I should point out that the first batch I made, I followed the directions exactly but the dough came out too soft, the texture was soggy and all the soup seeped out after steaming it. For the second batch I added some salt and used an extra 1/2 cup of flour to make the dough a tad bit stiffer and I thought that tasted much better.

These measurements worked better for me.
Flour 2 cups
Salt 1/2 tsp
Hot water 1/2 cup
Cold water 2 Tbs

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add the boiling water and mix it in well.
Add the cold water and knead on a floured surface for about 3-4 mins.
The dough should feel pliable but stiff.
You can use store bought wonton wrappers and save yourself a lot of time.

Broth

Chicken wings 1 1/2 lbs
Water 3 cups
Mushroom stalks 2-3
Ginger slices 6-7
Peppercorns 1/2 tsp
Sichuanese chili 1 - optional
Unflavored gelatin 2 Tbs

Combine all the ingredients together in a large pot and boil for 1-2 hours on medium heat.
Strain the broth to separate the chicken and to remove the bit and chunks.
While the broth is still hot sprinkle 2 tablespoons of unflavored gelatin on the top and mix well.
Allow 5 mins for the gelatin to dissolve completely.
Stir once again and pour into an 8" by 13" baking dish. refrigerate until set about 2-3 hours.
Cut into small chunks.

Dipping Sauce

Black vinegar 1/4 cup
Ginger strips 2 Tbs
Soy sauce 1 Tbs - optional (I like it without the soy sauce)

Combine everything in a dipping bowl.

Filling

Minced chicken meat 1 lbs
Green onions 3 Tbs (chopped fine)
Crimini mushrooms 3 Tbs (chopped fine)
Garlic 1 Tbs (minced)
White vinegar 1 tsp
Soy sauce 1 Tbs
Pepper 1/4 tsp
Chili flakes 1/8 tsp - optional
Salt

Combine everything in a large bowl and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Pleating

Here is a little video I made that might be helpful. This is my first time making these, I think I did a fairly good job. So proud!

Homemade Pasta and Mussels

2011-03-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

Meet my fabulous sis and her wonderful hubby.

Their visit to Pike Place Market.

They make it look easy and fun.

Voila!

Minty Mango Salsa with crystallized Ginger

2011-03-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

A delicious quick and easy salsa great with fish tacos!

(makes about 2 cups)
(prep time 15 mins)
Ingredients

Mango 1 large (cut into chunks, choose a sweet ripe mango) - you can also use fresh pineapple

Mint leaves 5-6 (cut into thin strips)

Red pepper 2-3 Tbs (chopped fine)

Red onions 1 Tbs (chopped fine)
Green onions 2 Tbs (chopped fine)

Cilantro 1 Tbs (cut into strips) - optional

Jalapeno 1/2 Tbs (minced) - optional

Fresh ginger 1/2 tsp (minced)

Crystallized ginger 1 tsp (minced)

Juice of 1 fresh Lime

Salt

Mix everything together.

Allow to refrigerate for a few hours for all the flavors to combine.

Enjoy :-)

Class today

2011-03-03T23:20:00.000-08:00

Just came back from another fabulous class.
I so love doing this and the best part is meeting all the great people!
Thank you Katy for helping me out today :-) I hope you get to go on many more cooking trips!
Juliana... you have such great energy and I wish you all the luck in finding the right gal for your friend :-)
Great meeting Devin and Elaine.... and in case you were curious "Asalam-o-alikum" is how you would say hello in Urdu :-)
Thank you all for coming today and making this day special :-) I hope you learned a lot and happy cooking!

Vanilla Biscotti

2011-02-25T01:53:00.000-08:00

Love Biscotti! A twice baked cookie just meant for dunking in ice cold milk, coffee, cocoa and teas. Since I've never made this before I thought it would be best to start with a basic vanilla no frills version before trying out other more exotic flavors and also because it's 1am and I have to do with what I got in my pantry.
I used this recipe as a guide. I didn't have all the ingredients and I cut the original recipe in half. It took me much longer to dry them out but they turned out great. Can't wait to mess around with more flavors!

How I did it

Flour 1 1/4 cup
Baking powder 1 tsp
Sugar 1/2 cup
Butter 1/2 cup (soft at room temp)
Eggs 2 large (room temp)
Vanilla 1 tsp

Pre-heat oven to 350.
Lightly grease a cookie tray.
Whisk together butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add the egg one at a time and continue to whisk until foamy.
Add vanilla and slowly fold in the flour (combined with the baking powder) 2 tablespoon at a time.
You will have a thick sticky dough.
Shape the dough in the form of a flat loaf.
Place the loaf on a cookie sheet and bake for 25 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool for 15 min on a wire rack and then cut into slices. I cut my slices 1" thick and the in original recipe it's 1/2" that's why it took me longer to dry them out.
Lower temperature of oven to 300, place the slices sideways on the cookie sheet and bake for another 25 mins. Turn sides and bake for another 25 mins.

Ta da!
Allow to cool and store in air tight jars.

Wiener Schnitzel

2011-02-24T15:50:00.000-08:00

I had the most amazing lunch just now!
Very basic ingredients, so surprisingly easy to make... and out of this world delicious!
"Wiener Schnitzel" originally comes from Austria and has many variants around the world. It's basically very thin slices of veal drenched in flour, egg, crumbs and fried. I had this with deli bought Sauerkraut, potatoes and some infused butter!

(serves 2)

(cook time for the veal 4 mins - potatoes are 20 mins extra)

Ingredients

I used veal for this but I read on several sites that pork chops, beef or chicken breast meat can also be used. Whatever sort of protein you use, its important that the slices be 1/4" thick. You can ask your butcher to prepare the meat for you or you can place the meat between 2 sheets of wax paper and use a mallet to pound the meat until desired thickness is reached.

Veal slices 1/2 lbs about 6 slices (I got "veal scallopini" so it was already very thin)

Salt 1/3 tsp

Coarse black pepper 1/3 tsp

Flour 1 cup

Eggs 2 large (beaten lightly)
Bread crumbs 1 cup
Fresh lemon slices

Fresh dill

Oil for frying

Make sure you have everything set before starting.

Use a wide frying pan filled 1/3 with oil.

You should have 3 dipping trays for the flour, egg and bread crumbs.

Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the veal slices. Use very little, you want to taste the veal!

Press each slice in flour and then shake off the extra.

Dip it in egg and then gently roll it around in bread crumbs.

One important thing that I read on several sites was not to press the bread crumbs too hard into the meat. The crust should form a loose shell around the veal once cooked.

Slide this into hot oil and cook for 1 1/2 min per side on medium high heat. That's all it takes!

Squeeze some lemon juice on top before eating.

Side Potatoes

Small potatoes 4

Garlic 1/2 tsp (minced)

Coarse sea salt 1/4 tsp
Pepper 1/4 tsp

Butter 1 Tbs

Oil 1 Tbs

I don't peel the potatoes, cut them in quarters and boil them in salted water.
Allow to cool down a bit.

Heat some butter and oil in a pan and sear the potatoes on all sides until brown and crispy.

Add the garlic in the last 10 seconds of cooking.

Toss with salt and pepper.

Compound Butter

Unsalted butter 2 Tbs (soft at room temp)

Lemon zest 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice few drops

Fresh dill 1 tsp

Pepper pinch
Salt pinch

Combine the above ingredients together.

Place the butter back in the fridge until set. I used a candy liner as a mold.

Egg Ravioli

2011-02-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

This was something fun and interesting I made for my guy this morning.
The picture is not the best quality A. It's gray outside B. My camera ran out of batteries before I could take more shots.

(serves 1-2)
(cook time 10 mins)

What and how

Eggs 3 large

Chili powder 1/4 tsp

Salt

Whisk the above together in a large bowl and set aside.

Now we'll make the cheese stuffing.

I used:

Goat cheese 3 Tbs (you can use ricotta or cream cheese if you wanted)
Yellow pepper 1 Tbs (thin slices)
Sun Dried tomatoes 1 Tbs (minced fine)
Beef sausage 3 Tbs (cooked)
Potatoes 3 Tbs (diced really small and cooked on a skillet with some salt, pepper and butter)
Pepper 1/4 tsp

Salt just a pinch (1/8 tsp)

Heat a frying pan and add a few drops of cooking oil (I used canola)

Spread about 2 Tbs of the egg mixture in a small circular disk, use the back of your spoon, about 3 inches in diameter.

Drop a spoonful of the mixture length wise in the center and while the egg is still soft, flip one side over so the edges can seal.

Continue until the egg and the mixture runs out. I could make about 9 little raviolis, that's 3 per egg.

I think It would be great if you spread some shredded fontina cheese over the top and put these under the broiler for a few seconds just to melt the cheese! I'll do that next time.

Enjoy!

Astronaut Ice Cream Anyone?

2011-01-26T18:30:00.000-08:00

MmmMMmmm
:-)

Maash ki Daal

2011-01-16T13:34:00.000-08:00

My uber fabulous sister makes the best ever maash ki daal!
I am sure anyone who has had it will agree with me :-)
I love eating insane amounts of this at insane hours!

And even though she has shared the recipe with me countless times I will never ever cook it for myself cuz I love it SO much when she makes it for me :-)

Class Pics

2011-01-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

I have been so ~~lazy~~ busy lately.
These pics from my last class are long overdue.
Many many thanks to Alli for all of her help, be sure to check out her amazing food blog!

Chocolate Truffles

2010-11-28T11:57:00.000-08:00

I made some dark chocolate truffles for my sweetie a few days back. Some how I had leftover ganache in my fridge, usually I would just take a spoon to it, but this time around I thought I'd be classy and make some candy instead.

(makes 8 pieces)

(prep time 30 mins + additional time for cooling, shaping and dipping)

Chocolate Ganache

First you will need to make the chocolate ganache, and then you will need to let it set in the fridge overnight.

Heavy cream 1/2 cup (use 36%)

Your favorite dark chocolate 5 oz (chopped up into small bits)

Butter 1 Tbs

Flavors like brandy, or any other liqueur 1 Tbs (optional)

Milk chocolate 4 oz (to be used later for dipping the truffles in)

You will also need a small piece of Styrofoam (explained later)

Method

Keep the chocolate bits in a large bowl and set aside.

In a heavy based pot bring the cream to a gentle simmer over medium high heat.

Pour half of the cream onto the bits of chocolate and mix well.

Then pour the rest of the cream, mix and combine very well.

Stir in the butter and flavours.

The chocolate should have completely melted and you should have a chocolaty smooth and shiny mixture in front of you that's difficult not to lick!

Let this mixture sit in the fridge for 6 hours or over night.

The next day you will be able to scoop it out with a spoon, and you should be able to shape them. They are very delicate and melt quickly in your palms so you need to work quickly and gently.

Dust some cocoa powder on your hands, this prevents the ganache from sticking to your hands too much, scoop out a tablespoon worth of ganache in your hands, carefully roll it into a small ball and place it back in the fridge. This is your basic truffle, you can roll this in cocoa powder, ground nuts, coconut flakes etc and you are set.

However I wanted it to have a hard outer shell similar to the truffles that you get from fancy chocolate stores.

That means you need to dip it in tempered chocolate.

You can make tempered chocolate from scratch but I cheat a bit and melt a regular chocolate bar on a double boiler and let it sit till it cools down completely and reaches room temp. The chocolate stays melted for a long time at room temperature. I used about 4 oz of milk chocolate for this.

I also like to freeze the ganache for 45 mins before dipping it in the chocolate.

Half way through freezing time take the ganache out and re-shape it into round balls, and stick a toothpick in it. Re-shaping it gives it a rounder shape (no flat bottoms), the toothpick makes it easier to dip them in chocolate and later you can stick it in some Styrofoam till the chocolate fully hardens, again this prevents flat bottoms.

Now all you gotta do is dip the truffles in melted chocolate and let it rest in the fridge until the chocolate hardens. Place them in candy liners and ta da you're done! I drizzled some melted white chocolate on top, made a little gift box and gave these to my honey :-)

Caramel Candy

2010-11-23T12:19:00.000-08:00

I love it when it snows but I can't believe how awful it got on the streets yesterday! Hope everybody made it home safely last night.
Since most of us are stuck indoors, why not make a batch of homemade caramel candy? I think they make great gifts!

This was surprisingly very easy to make and came out perfectly soft and chewy. I found the instructions here and simply halved the amount of ingredients. This was a really good post about the the whole procedure, great pictures as well! I have listed the method here for convenience.

(makes over 1 lbs of candy)
(cook time 20-30 mins + extra time for cutting and wrapping)
Ingredients

Unsalted butter 1/2 cup
Light corn syrup 1/2 cup
Sweetened condensed milk 1/2 of a 14 oz can
Brown sugar 1 cup and 2 Tbs
Vanilla 1/2 tsp

Method

Note: This is easier if you have a candy thermometer. I don't have have one, so I would test for the right temperature by dropping a small amount of caramel into an ice cold glass of water. I checked after every 5-8 mins. And when the caramel gathered at the bottom of the glass formed a firm ball in my fingers, I knew it was done.

Melt butter in a heavy base pan and add sugar to it.

Cook until sugar is dissolved over medium high heat... about a minute

Add corn syrup and condensed milk, stir and combine well.

Continue to cook over med high heat and stir often.

Cook until caramel reaches the firm ball stage. It took me a little over 20 minutes.

Add the vanilla or any other flavors at this point.

Pour this carefully in a buttered dish.

Allow to cool over night.

Sprinkle with sea-salt if you'd like, cut into desired shape and wrap.

I used kitchen shears to cut these, that explains the weird cut lines along the caramel :-)

I don't know if you can tell, but my caramel had tiny dark brown specks in it. That happened because I didn't stir the caramel often enough during cooking and it got dark at the bottom. So stir stir stir and then stir some more.

Another point that I would like is make is on the wrapping material, I tried both cellophane and wax paper. The cellophane obviously has a lot of options in pattern, colors etc but they are a pain to twist and don't hold the shape. Wax paper does a better job and the candies look more homemade.

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

2010-11-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

These are perfection! Nice and chewy in the inside.

I browsed through several recipes and came up with this version.

So cute in chinese takeout boxes, don't you think they make perfect little food gifts?

You won't believe how easy it is to make them.

(makes about 18-20 cookies)
(prep time 10 mins)
(bake time 20-25 mins)
Ingredients

Sweetened coconut flakes 14 oz
Dried coconut flakes (unsweetened) 1/3 cup (lightly toasted)
Condensed milk 2/3 cup
All purpose flour 1/4 cup + 1 Tbs
Large egg whites 3
Nice pinch of salt
Dark chocolate bits 1/3 cup

Method

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and rubber some butter over it. Keep aside.
Mix all of the coconut, flour, condensed milk and salt together in a bowl.
In a separate bowl whip the egg whites till they become frothy and form stiff peaks. Takes about 1-2 mins with a hand held mixer.
Fold in the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
Scoop out 2 Tbs worth of the dense and sticky coconut mixture and shape it gently using two spoons.
Place the cookies 1" apart from each other and bake in the oven for 15-20 mins.
After baking for 20 mins I realised that the top of the cookie wasn't toasty enough.
I didn't want to bake them longer and risk over cooking them, so I placed the cookies under the broiler for a a minute or two to get the tops all goldeny brown. You want to keep an eye on the cookies while you are doing this. They can burn quite quickly. It also helps if you rotate the cookie sheet to make sure all the cookies are equally browned.

Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and peel them off the wax paper, allow to cool completely.
A lot of recipes that I went through made a chocolate ganache for dipping these in, but the ganache remains soft and its hard to keep the cookies together in a box without the ganache rubbing off and making a mess.
So for the second batch of cookies that I made, I just melted some regular dark chocolate and dipped the cookies in that. The chocolate hardened after a bit and I was left with perfect little coconut macaroons.
:-)
Note to myself: Next cookie to try "Macaron"!

Class pics :-)

2010-11-15T09:22:00.000-08:00

Nicole! you did a wonderful job helping mt out yesterday, thanks a bunch :-)
Another class, another day of meeting great people.
Thank you Carolyn for sending me the pics.

Nargisi Koftay

2010-11-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

A royal delicacy!

Ingredients

Finely ground lamb 1 lbs
Hard boiled eggs 4 large
Red onions 1 cup (sliced fine)
Tomatoes 1 cup (chopped fine)
Yogurt 1/3 cup
Green chilies 2-3 med (chopped fine)
Garlic 1 Tbs (minced)
Ginger 1 Tbs (minced)
Black pepper 1 tsp
Cayenne pepper 1 tsp
Coriander 1 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil for cooking 4-5 Tbs

Spices for the meatballs:
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Red chili flakes 1/2 tsp
Garlic 1 tsp (minced)
Cumin seeds 1/3 tsp
Egg yolk 1
Bread crumbs 1 1/2 tsp
Salt

Method

Heat some oil in a pot.
Add the onions and fry until dark brown.
Add the chilies, garlic and ginger and stir for about 30 secs till the garlic becomes fragrant.
Add the tomatoes, mix well and simmer on med high heat for 4-5 minutes or until the tomatoes are cooked and are soft.
Add the yogurt and blend with a blender to make a smooth gravy.
Add all the spices and keep aside.
Meanwhile, mix all the spices listed under "Spices for the meatballs" in the ground meat.
Wrap the meat around the eggs (the eggs need to be room temp).
In a separate frying pan, heat about 2-3 Tbs of oil and quickly sears the sides of the meatballs to a light brown color. Don't worry about cooking the meat, the meatballs with cook fully in the sauce.
Gently add the browned meatballs into the gravy and cook for 15 mins on med high heat or until the meat is cooked through. Stir once half way.

Great with naan.

:-)

Chocolate Tart with Baked Bananas and Caramel

2010-10-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

How I turned this.....

Into this!

This dessert was inspired from this recipe, it has great instructions and wonderful pics!
I used the exact recipe for the ganache but I halved the caramel to make room for the bananas.
I made it for some friends of ours and they all liked it very much. I don't get to make desserts very often so this took me a lot of time to prepare.
This makes a 10" tart enough for 8 people easily.

Pie Crust

I used Chef Alton Brown's recipe for the pie crust.
The quantities are very accurate and you get enough dough for the bottom of a 10" pie dish (had a little left over).
Minor changes:
Instead of the lard I used vegetable shortening just because I don't like the sound of lard. I read on several baking blogs that using a combo of butter with lard or shortening makes for a flakier crust rather than going all butter.
It's easier to chop up all the butter and shortening first and then place it the freezer, otherwise it gets too hard to cut and melts while you are using you fingers to handle it!
I placed all the fat in the freezer for at least an hour.
The chilled water, I never used a spritzer, I just added it gradually to the dough one tablespoon at the time.

You will have to blind bake the crust.
Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.
Butter and flour a 10" tart pan or a pie dish.
Roll out the dough and place it inside the dish and press it gently against the sides and bottom of the pan.
Since this is a tart and not a pie you don't have to flute the corners and make a fancy edge just cut the over hang with a knife.
Use a fork to poke holes all over the bottom and sides to keep it from rising up during baking.
Place it in the fridge for another 30 mins.
Use pie weights or dry beans and arrange them inside the dish.
If you are going to use beans, I recommend placing them over a sheet of aluminum so that you can remove them quickly.
Bake for 10 mins in the middle rack, remove the weights and bake for another 15 mins.
Keep aside and allow to cool down.

This is something intereseting that I recently read.
Adding some vodka to the dough makes it super flaky!
So for Alton Browns recipe I would use 2 Tbs water and 2 Tbs vodka.

Sea salt roasted peanuts

You will need about 1/3 cup of roughly chopped peanuts.
These you can buy, like Planters dry roasted peanuts with sea salt.
Or do what I did.
I took some dry roasted unsalted peanuts, tossed them in 1/2 tsp of oil and heated them up quickly on a frying pan and then sprinkled some coarse sea salt over them.
Chop these up and keep aside.

Baked bananas

Bananas 3 large - ripe
Butter 1 tsp
Dark rum or pineapple juice 3 Tbs

Pre heat oven to 345 degrees.
Take a large sheet of aluminum foil and fold up 1" from each side to make a shallow container. It should be large enough so all the bananas can lay snug to each other. Place this aluminum container on a cookie sheet or inside a baking dish.
Peel three ripe bananas and slit them in halves lengthwise.
Rub a small amount of butter on each side of the cut bananas and sprinkle about 3 Tbs of dark rum or some fruit juice over them.
Bake on the middle rack for 15-20 mins or until the bananas feel tender but firm we don't want these to be mushy.
Remove from the baking dish and let them soak in the juices until they cool down completely
Cut into 1" chunks and keep aside for later.

* Inspired from this recipe.

Caramel

Sugar 2/3 cup
Corn Syrup 1 1/2 Tbs
Salt 1/8 tsp
Water 3 Tbs
Butter 3 Tbs
Heavy Cream 3 Tbs

Combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and water in a sauce pan.
Cook over medium high heat until the temp is 365 degrees on a candy thermometer.
I don't have a candy thermometer, but at 365 degrees the caramel is at the hard ball stage.You can check that by dropping a small amount into a glass of very cold water. The syrup will settle to the bottom of the glass and if you scrape that off and roll it between your fingers it should feel very hard.
It took me about 8 minutes to get to that stage.
Whisk in the butter and cream.
You will get a pale yellow and very soft caramel.
Very delicious!
Keep aside and allow this to cool for an hour at least.

* Click here for the original source

Chocolate Ganache

VERY IMPORTANT: You can't make the ganache in advance because it will set, therefore make it just when you are ready to pour it.

Heavy cream 1/2 cup (I used 36% heavy cream)
Bitter chocolate 4 oz (I used a 3.5oz bar of Lindt Excellence 70% cocoa + 1/2 oz of Lindt Milk chocolate)
Butter 1 Tbs

I remember reading somewhere, a long time ago, that ganache should always be made in 2 additions. This ensures a smoother texture and prevents the ganache from separating.

Chop the chocolate into small bits and put half of it in a bowl.
Bring the cream to a soft simmer in a sauce pan over medium high heat.
Pour half of the hot cream into the bowl with chocolate and mix well.
Add the rest of the chocolate and the cream and make sure everything is well combines.
Mix in the butter and your ganache will get a nice sheen.

* Click here for the original source

Assembly

At this point you should have these ready and at room temperature.
Pre baked pie crust
Baked bananas - cut into 1" pieces
Salted peanuts - roughly chopped
Caramel

Arrange the bananas and cover the bottom of the pie.
Sprinkle the peanuts and pour the caramel.
Allow this to cool in the fridge for at least an hour before you can add the ganache.
After an hour pour in the ganache, tap your dish a few times to ensure even distribution and chill the tart in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours.

Sit back, congratulate yourself for finishing this task, relax and anticipate how it all tastes. Don't forget to let it rest on the counter for 15 mins before eating.
Longest 15 mins ever! :-)

Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks

2010-10-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Enough marinade for 12 drumsticks.
(Prep time 15 mins + 2 hours marination time)
(Cook time 20 mins)

Ingredients

Chicken legs 12 (skinless)
Greek style yogurt 3 Tbs
Whole Green chilies 3 med
Ginger 2" piece
Garlic 3 Tbs - minced
Turmeric 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 1/2 tsp
Roasted cumin powder 2/3 tsp
Coarse black pepper 1/2 tsp
Cayenne pepper 2/3 tsp
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Salt 1tsp

Combine everything (except the chicken of course) in a blender and blend for a few seconds to form a thick paste. This is your marinade.
Make at least 2 cuts across the meaty part of the chicken leg with a sharp knife. The cuts should go all the way till the bone. This step is necessary to ensure that the spices reach all the way inside the meat.
Rub the paste all over the meat and marinade in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Arrange the meat on a well lubricated grill and cook for 10 mins on med high flame with the cover on.
After 10 mins flip the meat and grill on the other side for another 10 mins covered. Baste with melted butter from time to time.

Squeeze some fresh lime juice over the chicken before eating!
Goes great with mint raita, plain yogurt or mango chutney.
Good stuff :-)

Fennel and zucchini salad

2010-10-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

Had a friend over for lunch... one of the a things I made was this Italian inspired salad.

(serves 4)
(prep time 15 mins)
Ingredients

I used a mandoline to slice all the veggies very thin and then julienned them with a knife. You can use a grater that has a slicer side or a food processor with a julienne insert. You can of course minimize slicing time by using matchstick carrots.

Fennel (bulb only) 1 cup (julienned)
Zucchini (un-peeled) 1 cup (julienned)
Baby carrots 1/2 cup (julienned)
Red onions 1/4 cup (julienned)
Red bell pepper 1/3 cup (julienned)

Vinaigrette

Olive oil 6-7 Tbs
Red wine vinegar 2-3 Tbs
Garlic 1 tsp (minced)
Salt 1/2 tsp
Pepper 1/4 tsp
Chili flakes 1/4 tsp
Chopped golden raisins 1/3 cup

Combine everything except the raisins in a blender and blend for a few seconds.... It should turn cloudy.
Then gently mix in the chopped golden raisins.
Pour this over the veggies and toss well.
Refrigerate for 30 mins to an hour before eating.

My friend and I had this with desi food... and it was great.
But I will grill a halibut steak to go with this for my hubby tomorrow.
:-)

Class today :-)

2010-09-28T23:22:00.000-07:00

Another awesome class!

Zar's Chicken Shawerma

2010-09-23T09:18:00.000-07:00

Enjoying the last few days of my vacation back home.
Zarlashta, my adorable teeny tiny bhabhi, made some extremely yummylicious shawermas for us.
A wonderful Mediterranean inspired sandwich consisting of tender pieces of meat wrapped in warm pita bread. I think these would also be great for picnics.
Lets calls these Zawermas :-)

(serves 12)

(prep time 45 mins)

Ingredients

Chicken 2 1/2 lbs (boneless cut into cubes)

Garlic paste 1/2 tsp

Ginger paste 1/2 tsp

Garlic powder 1/4 tsp

Pepper 1/2 tsp

Dried Oregano 1/2 tsp

Dried Rosemary 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice 1 1/2 Tbs

Vinegar 1 Tbs

Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbs

Salt

Oil for cooking 1/4 cup

Heat some oil in a frying pan, season the chicken with all the spices and cook until tender.

Allow the chicken to cool down and then shred into small pieces.

Veggies

Green bell pepper 2 med (sliced into thin strips)

Red onions 1 med (sliced thin)

Carrots 1 large (sliced thin)

Cucumbers 1 large (sliced thin) optional

Pickels 6 med (Sliced length wise) optional

Jalepeno 3-4 Tbs (chopped) optional

Mushrooms 3-4 Tbs (sliced) optional

Add a few drops of vinegar to these.

Mayo Sauce

Mayonnaise 5 Tbs

Garlic paste 1/4 tsp

Pepper 1/2 tsp

Paprika 1/4 tsp

Red chili flakes 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice 2 Tbs

Salt

Mix everything together in a bowl.

You will need 12 gently toasted, medium sized pita breads.

Here is a demo on how to wrap these.

Enjoy :-)

Lunch at Farheen's

2010-09-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

My awesome cousin Farheen had me over for lunch at her place, a beautiful house in a land far far away. We set off early morning one fine day and after many moons were welcomed by this wonderful meal....

...followed by this yummy dessert called Firni. A sliky smooth rice porridge set in un-glazed clay pots.

For reasons know only to a few I like calling this dessert fur-ni :-)

(serves 6)

(prep time 1 hour)

Ingredients

Whole milk 4 cups
Rice Powder 2-3 Tbsp
Pistachios and/or almonds (chopped fine) 1/4 cup
Sugar 1/4 cup
Cardamoms pods 4

Method

Blend rice powder with 1/2 cup cold milk and put it aside for at least half an hour.
Boil remaining milk with cardamoms.
Lower heat to medium and slowly pour in the blended rice powder in a steady stream.
Continue to cook on medium heat, stirring all the time, until it begins to thicken should take about 10 mins.
Add sugar and mix in the chopped nuts.
Taste and cool the firni pot in a bowl of water.
Once the firni has cooled down, pour it in a separate bowl or preferably in the special firni pots.
Decorate with some slivered almonds on top, place them in the fridge and chill for at least 5-6 hours.
:-)

Fancy Shmancy Breakfast

2010-09-01T18:12:00.000-07:00

I made this for my hun a few days back.

Scrambled eggs in a basket made of Parmesan cheese.

Can be great for salads as well.

I will post a video soon about how to make the baskets and some other fun shapes out of Parmesan.
For now read below to see how I did it.

Take a wide non stick frying pan.

While the pan is cold, sprinkle some shredded Parmesan cheese all over the surface. Make sure there aren't any gaps between the shreds of cheese.

I tried to make it more lace like and delicate so I didn't need much cheese. Say for a 13" pan I used less than 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan, just enough to make sure all the shreds were connected.
Turn the heat up to medium.
The cheese will begin to melt and will start to turn brown at the bottom, it took me about 3-4 minutes on my stove. Make sure all the strands of cheese have melted.
You have to be careful about this next step.
All the shreds will melt and bond together to form a single sheet resembling a doily.
You will be able to lift it all up from a single corner with tongs.
Lift it up and drape it over a large inverted glass bowl and let it cool down for a few minutes.
Remove it from the bowl and your basket is done!
This is how mine looked like.

The eggs were simple... whip together,
2 Large eggs
Coarse black pepper
Fresh thyme
Salt

Melt 1 Tbs of unsalted butter in a frying pan and pour in the eggs.
Lift the sides of the eggs as it cooks and allow the uncooked eggs to flow beneath.
Cook until done.
Place gently inside basket.
:-)

Sometimes I mess up....

2010-08-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

Had some very dear friends over at our place a few days back and I made them this gloppy, mushy, too sweet and really bad looking pad Thai that everybody claimed tasted just like baingan ka bharta (roasted eggplant curry).
hmmm I wonder how the eggplant I make tastes like ??? :-) LOL

A lot of things went wrong.

I let the rice noodles soak in the water too long (40 mins), they turned waaaay softer than necessary and broke very easily.
I added the eggs after adding the noodles. That just made a big giant blob of everything.
The sauce had too much palm sugar.
I couldn't get raw shrimp so had to get pre cooked shrimp. I suppose they are OK for cocktails and stuff but for this they got too tough and couldn't absorb any of the flavors from the sauce.
Chopped the tofu too small!

Tried making it again and I think It came out much much better. Looks better too :-)

I made this vegetarian without any shrimp however the recipe below includes shrimp.

(serves 2-3)
(prep time 40 mins)

Ingredients

Oil 1/4 cup

Garlic 1 1/2 Tbs (minced fine)

Shallots 2 Tbs (minced fine)

Red Thai chilies 4 Tbs (sliced thin)

Shrimp 6-8 med size (deveined)

Egg 1 large

Tofu 1 cup (cut into 1" cube)

Dried shrimp 2 Tbs (optional)

Pad Thai sauce 1/2 cup

(2/3 cup tamarind pulp + 1/4 cup soy sauce + 2 Tbs fish sauce + 1 Tbs palm sugar cooked over med low heat for 30 mins)

*Rice noodles 3 cups (**soaked in hot water for 10 mins only!)

Garlic chives 2/3 cup (cut into 4" strips)

Bean sprouts 2/3 cup

Spring onions 1/2 cup (cut into 2" strips)

Roasted peanuts 1/4 cup (crushed)

Juice of 1 large lime

Pepper 1/2 tsp

Chili flakes 1/2 tsp

It's important to follow this order

I listed the ingredients in the order they go into the wok.

Please make sure you have everything ready.

Heat up some oil in a wok.

Add the garlic cook for 30 seconds

Add the shallots and chilies cook for a minute.

Add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes.

Crack in the egg and let it set for a bit and then scramble it.

Add tofu and stir for another minute.

Add dried shrimp and cook for a few seconds.

Add the pad thai sauce.

Dump the noodles in and mix well.

Add garlic chives, bean sprouts, spring onions, crushed peanuts and stir for no longer than a minute.

Sprinkle some lime juice, coarse pepper and chili flakes.

Combine well.

Done!

* Rice noodles come in different thicknesses, I used 3mm. They are also called rice sticks and I am pretty sure I saw some fresh ones at Uwajimaya that don't need to be soaked in water.

**Bring a pot full of water to a gentle simmer and turn the heat off. The pot should be wide enough for the noodles to swim around. Soak the noodles for 10 mins only, when you take them out they should be el-dente. Drain well and allow to cool before adding it to the wok.

Tostones

2010-08-22T16:46:00.000-07:00

One of the yummiest and easiest sides I ever made. Twice fried plantain is very popular in many Latin American countries. We had this with Puerto Rican style green mojo sauce.

(prep time 5 min + cook time 10 min)
(serves 1-2)
How it's done

Unripe (green) Plantain 1 large
Oil for deep frying
Kosher salt

Peel off the skin of the plantain and slice it into 1" to 1.25" chunks. I got eight pieces from one large plantain.
Heat some oil in a wok and deep fry the plantain pieces for 5 minutes and take them out.
Now you need to flatten them.
Traditionally a tostonera is used. And since I didn't have one I placed each piece between 2 sheets of wax paper and pressed down with the bottom of my palm, then I used the smooth side of a meat mallet and pounded it gently to a 1/4" thickness.
Once all the pieces are flattened, fry them again for another 5 minutes until crisp and golden brown.
Take them out on sheets of paper to absorb extra oil and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.
Tell me this ain't easy.
:-)

Gai Hor Bai Toey

2010-08-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

Thai style chicken wrapped in pandanus leaves. These turned out very tender and juicy, I had some friends over and they all loved it.

You can get frozen pandan leaves from Uwajimaya that are already cut into 6"strips, but I got fresh pandan leaves from Viet Wah on Jackson St. in Seattle. I think that's the only place where you can get them fresh. The leaves were well over 2' long even after I trimmed one inch off from the bottom because it seemed tough. I was able to get four 6" strips from each leaf. For this amount of chicken I needed two packets of pandan leaves for around $1.69 each.

(prep time 10 mins + 3 hours for marinade + 6 mins cook time)
(serves 2-3)
Marinade

Coconut milk 1/2 cup

Red Thai chilies 3-4

Ginger 1 1/2 inch piece

Garlic 4-5 cloves

Cilantro small bunch (approx 1/2 cup)

Fish sauce 3 Tbs
Soy sauce 2 Tbs

Rice flour 1 rounded Tbs

Pepper 1 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp

Blend everything until smooth.

This amount will be enough for about 4 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless) cut into 2" pieces.
Marinade the chicken for at least 3 hours in the fridge.
Simply wrap a single piece of meat in a 6" long pandan leaf and secure with a toothpick.
Deep fry for 5-6 mins.
We had this with a Thai sweet and sour sauce.
:-)

Class today

2010-08-17T23:15:00.000-07:00

Fantastic group of people!

Everyone was good sport and used their fingers to eat the dessert :-)

Goan fish curry

2010-08-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

Wow.... August is surprisingly turning out to be all about south Indian delicacies!

This fish curry is prepared with an oily fish and has lots of coconut in it. Eating with your hands preferably on a banana leaf is highly encouraged :-)

Hubby ji loves fish, me not at all!! Anytime you see a post about seafood is because I made it for solely for him and had a salad for myself (and spent the rest of the day airing out the fish 'aroma?' from the apartment)

Sigh..... love!

:-)

(prep time 40 min)

(serves 2)

Ingredients

Mackerel 1 lbs - cut into large pieces

Desiccated coconut 1/2 cup (un-sweetened)

Coconut milk 2/3 cup

Ginger 1/2 Tbs (chopped fine)

Garlic 1/2 Tbs (chopped fine)

Onion 1/2 cup (sliced thin)

Tomatoes 1/2 cup (cut into small chunks)

Green chilies 1 Tbs (chopped fine)

Juice of 1 large lime

Coriander powder 2 tsp

Cumin 1 tsp

Turmeric 1 tsp

Tamarind pulp 1/4 cup

Black pepper 1 tsp

Salt

Oil for cooking

Method

Season the fish with coriander powder, cumin, turmeric, tamarind pulp, black pepper, salt and lime juice.

Marinade in the fridge for 15 mins.

Heat some oil in a frying pan and brown the onions until dark brown.

Add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 mins or until the tomatoes are soft.

Mix in garlic, ginger and chilies and cook for 2-3 mins.

Blend grated coconut, coconut milk and the fried onion mix into a smooth gravy.

Add the fish to this sauce and cook on med-high heat for another 8-10 minutes or until the fish is cooked.

Don't over stir this.

Small little chunks of fish will fall off and mix with the sauce.

Sprinkle some fresh chopped cilantro over the curry.

Goes well with boiled cumin rice.

Rava Idli

2010-08-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

I love south Indian food! I am new to the flavors and new to cooking it. The other day I woke up craving Idlis. I made the coconut chutney and Idli Podi. The idlis and rasam were from a pre-mix that I got from Mayuri. Maybe next time I'll make those from scratch.

hmmm... the title for this post is a bit misleading, Oh well :-)

P.S.
I don't have idli molds so I steamed the batter in a large round steamer and used a cookie cutter to make the circular shapes.

P.P.S
Happy birthday bug, I love you so very much!

Coconut Chutney

This makes a lot of chutney, close to 3 cups, you can freeze the leftover easily. The ingredient list seems very daunting but all of the things on it are found very easily at any Indian grocery store.

Start with a fresh medium size mature coconut. Remove the water and keep aside. You will need only the white part of the coconut, peel off the brown skin at the back after removing the coconut from the hard shell. Cut the coconut into small chunks. You should have roughly 2 to 2 1/2 cups of coconut chunks.

Ginger 1" piece

Green chilies 2-3 medium size

Jaggery or Brown sugar 1 tsp

Tamarind pulp 2-3 Tbs

Cilantro leaves 1/4 cup

Channa Dal (split chickpeas without seed coat) 2 Tbs

Urad/Maash Dal (washed black gram) 2 Tbs

Raw cashew nuts 1 Tbs

Raw Peanuts 1 Tbs

Mustard seeds 2 tsp

Cumin seeds 2 tsp

Curry Leaves 3-4 leaves

Water (Use coconut water and add enough plain water to get 1 1/2 to 2 cups of liquid )

Salt 2 Tsp

For tempering: (these quantities are for 1 cup of chutney)

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Bay leaf 1 large - broken up in large pieces

Dried red chili 1 large - broken up in large pieces

Asafoetida (Hing) 2/3 tsp

Oil 4 Tbs

Method

Most of the ingredients will need to be roasted. Channa dal takes the longest so start with that first.

Pour about 1 Tbs of oil in a frying pan and heat it up.

Add the channa dal and reduce the heat to a low simmer.

Roast the dal for about 10 mins and stir it a few times.

Now add the urad dal and roast for another 5 mins. Stir occasionally.

Add the cashews, peanuts, red chillies, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and roast for another 6-8 mins. Stir after every minute or two.

Allow the roasted ingredients to cool down.

For this step a hand held immersion blender worked better for me than a regular blender.

Combine all the roasted ingredients with the coconut chunks, tamarind pulp, jaggery, ginger, green chilies, cilantro, salt and water (basically everything).

Blend blend blend until you get a smooth and thick chutney (almost as thick as yogurt).

Cool the chutney in the fridge for about 20-30 mins.

Tempering:

The chutney it almost ready. The step should be done right before serving, so if you are going to freeze the chutney then don't do this now.

Heat 4 tbs of oil in a frying pan.

Add all the spices listed under "For Tempering" except hing, that should be added in the last 5 seconds.

Fry these on high heat for 30 seconds and pour the hot oil over the chutney. You will hear a loud sizzle, that's good a thing.

Your chutney is ready :-)

Idli podi

(makes about 2/3 cup of powder)

Channa Dal (split chickpeas without seed coat) 1/4 cup

Urad/Maash Dal (washed black gram) 1/4 cup

Mustard seeds 2 tsp

Coriander seeds 2 tsp

Cumin seeds 2 tsp

Pepper corns 2 tsp

Sesame seeds 1 tsp

Curry Leaves 3-4 leaves

Dried Red chilies 2-3 Large
Asafoetida powder (Hing) 2/3 tsp (this is added in the last 5 seconds)
Garlic powder 1 tsp (optional) (this is added in the last 5 seconds)
Dried tamarind or anar dana (dried pomegranate seeds) 2 tsp (optional)
Oil 2 tbs (use about a tsp at a time)
Salt 1 tsp

All these spices are roasted separately and slowly over low heat and then ground into a fine powder.
Pour 1 teaspoon oil in a heavy base frying pan.
Roast channa dal for 10 mins - keep aside.
Add another teaspoon or oil and roast urad dal for 5-6 mins - keep aside.
Add the rest of the oil and roast all of the spices (minus the hing and garlic powder) for about 3-4 minutes add the hing and garlic powder in the last 5 seconds.
Allow everything to cool.
Grind everything together in a coffee grinder.
Done!

You can eat this with some ghee and idlis!

Grilled Pomfret

2010-08-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

You won't find this fish in Pike's Place, I got it from Uwajimaya and they also cleaned it for me. My husband loved it with khamiri roti, onions and lime .

(prep time 30 mins)

(serves 2)

Ingredients

Pomfret fish (whole) approx 1 lbs

Greek yogurt 3 Tbs

Red thai chilies 2 (med)

Lime juice 2 Tbs

Carom seeds (Ajwain) 2 tsp

Turmeric 1 tsp

Coarse black pepper 1 tsp

Cumin 1 tsp

Salt

Method

Make a few cuts across the fish.

Combine all of the spices, lime juice, yogurt and rub the paste liberally over the fish and inside the cuts.

Marinade it in the fridge for 30 mins.

Rub a little oil or butter on both sides. Do this again when you turn the fish.

I baked this in a pre-heated oven for 8 mins at 400 over a rack and then broiled it for 2-3 mins each side on high. This should also be great for grilling outdoors. Make sure to cover the fins and tail of the fish with some aluminum foil before you broil or grill as they blacken quick and catch fire.

Pasta with Pink Sauce

2010-07-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Made from a lot of pre-made stuff! Prolly not the healthiest or tastiest thing to eat... but hey great for lazy days!

1 part your fav marinara sauce

1/2 part heavy cream

1/4 part chicken broth or vodka

Mix it all together in a heavy base sauce pan, cook for 10-15 minutes over med-high heat.

Great over pasta! Shred Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese on top and maybe some chili flakes.

Done in 15 minutes.

Class photos

2010-07-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

Just like always had a wonderful time and got a chance to meet great people :-)

Malai Kulfi

2010-07-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

Malai Kulfi or Kulfi is an Indian/Pakistani ice cream. It is void of eggs and needs no churning to make. Common flavors are cardamom, almonds or pistachios, saffron, rose water and sugar.

I made a batch a few days back for some friends of mine. The picture above are the last two that I tried really really hard to save for my sis and her hubby!

There are tons of recipes out there that explain the preparation. The shortcut method required no heat and was done by mixing together Cool Whip, condensed milk and cream along with saffron etc. The longer method involved boiling the milk and then adding a few slices of broken up bread to the milk.

The quicker version seemed boring and the bread in the longer method grossed me out. So this is how I did it, its somewhere in between the two methods. I added khoya which was easily available from Apna Bazar. It was in a brick form and resembled paneer cheese and was packaged by Nanak. I should also point out that Mayuri stocks fresh khoya from Pabla Cuisine but you have to call ahead to see if they have it. I prefer the one from Pabla Cuisine, it's delicious and soft, but in this recipe I used Nanak khoya.

A note to people who don't know, khoya is what's left of milk when all the liquid is evaporated. I think wikipedia explains it much better than me :-)

(prep time approx 2 hours plus overnight in the freezer)
(serves 6)
Ingredients

Whole milk 1 1/2 cups
Evaporated milk 1 12oz can
Condensed milk 1 14 oz can
Heavy cream (36% fat) 1 cup
Khoya shredded approx 2 cups (1/2 of the block from Nanak)
Sugar 1/3 cup
Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp
Almond powder 1/2 cup

Method

Pour whole milk into a heavy based pot and bring it to a boil.
Lower the heat and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes.
To this, add heavy cream and both the evaporated and condensed milk.
Sprinkle the shredded khoya and mix well.
Add the sugar, ground almond and cardamom powder.
The khoya will not completely melt (or maybe it does and I was impatient) use an immersion blender to make the mixture smooth.
Turn the heat off and allow this to come to room temperature.
Pour into molds. Freeze overnight.

When they come out of the freezer they are rock hard and not easy to eat.
Just let them sit on the counter for 8-10 minutes. You will see the sides beginning to melt a bit and that's a good sign that they are ready to eat. You can also nuke them for 8 seconds in the microwave or until the sides seem a bit melty.

This stuff was seriously awesome!

Note: This recipe can easily be doubled.
Caution: If using a muffin pan for freezing these, make sure they are lined with muffin liners otherwise its impossible to take the kulfi out without deforming it a bit. I learned this the hard way of course :-)

We can cook!

2010-06-28T23:04:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for coming and totally making my day. I love doing this and meeting all the great people just adds to the whole experience! I hope everyone had a great time and learned a few things about Indian/Pakistani cooking and all spices we use. Special thanks to Pat and Ginny.. you guys rock!

The missing instructions are right here:

1. Heat some oil in a pan and brown the onions until dark brown.

2. Add the chilies, garlic and ginger and cook for 2 mins.

3. Add yogurt. (Blend)
4. Add tomato sauce.
5. Heat some oil in a separate frying pan sear the chicken on high heat for 2-3 mins.
6. To the chicken, add all the spices and roast them for about 30 sec.
7. Add the chicken to the sauce. Season with salt.
8. Lower the heat and simmer until chicken is cooked. About 10 min.
9. Add the cream cook for another 2 mins.
10. Add the almond powder to thicken the sauce.
11. Turn the heat off. Mix in the butter.
12. Sprinkle some extra Garam Masala on top (optional).

Sacher Torte

2010-06-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

We had a beautiful sunny day today. Had a great big breakfast at Roxy's Diner in Fremont... and came home to this! The original scaher torte all the way from Vienna Austria. It came in the cutest little wooden box and the cake had a chocolate seal on it... coolest thing ever!

A late gift for my sweetie for his 30th!

Bean Salad with Salsa Verde

2010-06-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Zesty and uber delicious!

(prep time 30 mins)

(serves 2-3)

Ingredients

Garbanzo Beans 1/2 cup

Kidney Beans 1/2 cup

White Beans 1/2 cup

Garlic 1/2 tsp (minced)

White onion 2-3 Tbs (chopped fine)

Green pepper 2-3 Tbs (chopped fine)

Tomatoes 1 med (chopped fine)

Jalapeño 1 tsp (chopped very fine)

Salsa Verde 1/2 cup

White wine vinegar 3-4 Tbs

Salt

Method

Just toss everything together in a big bowl.

Season with salt.

Let this sit in the refrigerator for a few hours before consuming.

таратор - Tarator (Bulgarian cold soup)

2010-06-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

Quick and refreshing, a fantastic cold soup from Bulgaria. This soup is eaten chilled and sometimes ice cubes are added to it. I served this in a cute little ice bowl, which I lined with slices of cucumbers. I think it looks fab!

Following is a basic recipe that I found over the net. Feel free to change the ratio of any ingredient to better suit your taste buds.

And if you know how to make clear ice please tell me. I double boiled distilled water and it didn't work. I read somewhere that water needs to freeze in thin layers for clear ice. Does anyone know a better way?

(prep time 10 mins)
(serves 2-3)
Ingredients

Plain yogurt 2/3 cup
Fresh Dill 1-2 Tbs (chopped coarse)
Walnuts 2-3 Tbs (chopped)
Garlic 1/2 tsp (minced)
Cucumber 1 large (peeled)
Olive Oil or Sunflower Oil 2 Tbs
Water 1/3 cup
Salt 1/3 tsp approx

Method

Blend yogurt, water, half the cucumber and the garlic in a blender until smooth.
Take out in a bowl and keep aside.
Dice the left over cucumber into tiny bits and add to the yogurt.
Add the dill and walnuts.
Season with salt.
Drizzle some olive oil on top.
Enjoy.

:-)

Another one :-)

2010-06-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

I really love doing this :-)

Sharing some pics from the class, thank you all for coming!

It was great meeting everyone today.

And that gal from Bulgaria (I am sorry for not knowing your name) you are off the charts sweet :-) The next post I will dedicate to you :-) something from Bulgaria with extra rose water :-p

Class today

2010-05-25T23:16:00.000-07:00

Amazing day :-)

Dum Kebab

2010-05-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

These are delicious!

I like to keep the spices fairly basic in this particular kebab recipe.

So good, specially on a rainy day!

(makes 10 kebabs)

(prep time 30 mins)

For the salsa

Red onion 1 large (sliced)

Roma tomatoes 2 med (chopped)

Green chili 2-3 med (coarsely chopped)

Garlic 2 tsp (minced)

Salt

Heat some cooking oil in a frying pan and start to brown the onions.

Once they are light brown add the garlic, stir well and cook for about 30 seconds on medium high.

Add the tomatoes and the chilies, season with salt.

Cook for 10 mins on medium high heat or until the tomatoes have broken down and are soft.

Keep this mixture aside.

For the kebabs

Ground lean beef 1lbs

Cilantro/coriander powder 2 tsp

Red chili flakes 1 tsp

Garam masala 1 tsp

Pepper 1/2 tsp

Salt

Mix all the above ingredients well in large bowl.

You will need a bamboo skewer to make the kabobs.

Take about 3 Tbs of the meat mixture and wrap it around the bamboo stick and slide off.

The kebab should be roughly 4 inches long like a mini sheesh kebab.

Basically you are making elongated meatballs, you can do that without the bamboo skewer if you wish.

Heat some oil and start browning them in a wide frying pan on high heat.

Turn the kebabs to ensure even browning. This takes about 5 mins.

Once all the sides are browned and the meat is cooked half way add the onion salsa mixture to the frying pan.

Cover and cook on med low heat until kebobs are fully cooked, that usually takes around 10-12 minutes.

Squeeze some lemon juice over the kebabs!

Great with warm naan and some yogurt raita :-)

Smokey shrimp kebobs

2010-04-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

(serves 2-3)

(prep time 20 mins + 2-3 hours marinating time)

Ingredients

Regular shrimp 16 or Jumbo shrimp 8 (shelled and deveined)

Dried ancho chili 1 med sized
Cumin whole 2/3 tsp
Peppercorns 2/3 tsp
Brown sugar 1/2 tsp
Garlic 1 tsp (minced very fine)
Olive oil 3 Tbs
Fresh lime wedges
Coarse sea salt

The first step will be to grind the ancho chili, cumin, peppercorns and brown sugar together into a fine powder. I like using a coffee grinder for this purpose. We will only need some of the spice mix for the amount of shrimp we are using, the rest will stay fresh for ages in an air tight container.

Lightly heat the oil in a sauce pan and turn the heat off. It's important that the oil should be warm and not hot. The idea is to release the essential oils and not to burn the spices. Add the garlic and 1 1/2 tsp of the spice mixture and mix well. Let the spices steep for 10 minutes at least (or overnight better).

The spices would have settled down, gently pour off the extra oil and keep it aside for later use. Rub the spice paste onto the shrimp. Use bamboo skewers to make kebobs. Marinate for 2-3 hours.

Use the oil for basting the shrimp during cooking. Season the shrimp with salt just before grilling over hot coals. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until pink and springy to the touch, turn once halfway through the cooking time.

Squeeze fresh lime juice over the shrimp.
Great with a green salad.

:-)

Class today

2010-04-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

Another incedible day! Fantastic people and great food... always a good combination.
Thanks a ton Ginny and Anna :-) You guys rock!

Visit http://www.cooksworld.net/ for more info about class schedule.

Quick lunch

2010-04-11T16:34:00.001-07:00

(prep time 10 mins)
(bake time 40 mins)
(serves 2)

Made this just now :-)
Shortest time spent in the kitchen and almost no clean-up afterward :-)
I simply rolled up a single sheet of leftover puff pastry, 5 slices of muenster cheese and 1 lbs of various deli meats.
Brushed some egg wash on the top, made a few vent cuts and baked in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 30-40 mins or until crispy brown.
Let this rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

:-)
P.S. Plain 'ol ketchup goes well with this.

For someone Spätzle!

2010-03-31T01:52:00.000-07:00

Probably the only type of Pasta that exists in German cuisine :-)
I am really really proud of this one! I made it the old fashioned way. The technique was difficult and I feel it came out quite decent :-)

(makes 4 servings)
(prep time 10 mins - making the pasta however takes a lot of time specially if you are new and gadget-less)
Ingredients

Flour 1 cup
Eggs 2 large
Whole milk 1/3 cup
Unsalted butter 2 Tbs (melted)
Chives 1 Tbs (chopped fine)
Nutmeg 1/8 tsp
Pepper 1/8 tsp
Salt

Method

Gently fold in all the ingredients listed above in a large bowl.
Make sure that the batter is lump free. Let the batter rest for about 15 mins.

The video explains how to make it.
The pasta should immediately rise to the surface of the water.
If the batter dissolves into the boiling water or seems too soft you need to thicken the batter by adding more flour.
Boil for five minutes and use a slotted spatula to fish out the pasta.
Reheat the pasta with some butter in a frying pan!

Below is a video of my first time making it :-)
I should warn you, the way I held the board above the pot is probably not the best way to do it, because the steam really gets your arm.. ouch! But since it was my first time and that was the only way it felt comfortable to me.

I am sure you will notice that I am incredibly slow at this :-) Making this pasta was no easy task! I tried using a large colander and a spoon to push the batter through. That method wasn't very effective because the pasta that was formed was not long and thready instead looked more like chubby teardrops.
We had this with Rouladen.
A very German meal it was!
:-)

Rouladen

2010-03-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been craving for some hearty German food. After spending some time on the German cuisine page on wikipedia I decided that I was going to make Rouladen also called Rinderroulade. I have never had this before but everything about it sounds so darn good! Slow cooked meat that melts in your mouth always makes me drool!

The most important part of getting this right was getting the right cut of meat, a very thin top round steak. I was very excited to find a wonderful German deli right in my neighbourhood called Liebchen Delicatessen. They ordered the meat for me and saved me a trip to Pike place or Burien. The lady there was an absolute sweetheart, when I told her that it was going to be my first time making Rouladen she was happy to give me some helpful tips and even shared her recipe for the mustard dressing :-)

(prep time 2 1/2 hours)
(serves 2)
Ingredients

Rouladen meat 4 slices (about 1 lbs)
Fatty bacon 2 strips per steak (I used turkey bacon and 1/4 Tbs of butter for each steak)
Gherkins 2 med
White onions 1/2 med
Mustard 1/4 cup
Garlic powder 1/3 tsp
Coarse pepper 1/2 tsp
Sweet paprika 1 tsp
No salt the pickles are salty enough
Butter 2 Tbs

* I stuck to the basics but many recipes that I found used chopped up dried fruits, mushrooms, leeks, spinach for the filling.

All of the above ingredients will go over each steak in layers.
First the seasonings, then some mustard, afterwards bacon and the last layer would be the onions and pickles.
Start by slicing the onions and the pickles into thin equal size strips or chopping them into small chunks. First I tried with the sliced vegetables but found it difficult to roll and they would stick out too much so for the rest I used chopped and was much happier.

Season the meat on both sides with pepper, garlic powder and sweet paprika.

Paint some mustard on one side of the steak and arrange the bacon over it (since I used turkey bacon I also added 1/4 Tbs chopped up cold butter at this point)

Spread the onions and pickles over the bacon and roll it up like a jelly roll, tie and secure with some twine (you can also use a toothpick but I really feel that twine holds the shape better)

Melt and heat some butter in a frying pan.

Quickly brown your meat rolls for a few minutes. Keep turning to ensure even color on all sides.
Remove from the heat and keep aside. These fellas will simmer for 2 hours in the sauce so don't try to cook them completely. The above step is just for color.

Sauce

Chicken broth 1 1/2 cup

Red Wine 1/2 cup (Optional) (Use only 1 cup broth if using wine)

Tomato paste 1Tbs

Leeks 4" chunk

Celery about two 4" chucks

Carrots 3-4 baby carrots

Garlic 1/2 tsp

Cream 1/3 cup (Optional)

Roux ( brown 2 Tbs of flour in 2 Tbs of butter this will be used to thicken the sauce at the end)

Dried thyme 1/2 tsp

Bay leaf 1

No salt if using store bought chicken broth

You will need to use a heavy base pot for the sauce. It shouldn't be very wide, just enough for the meat rolls to fit snugly at the bottom.

Arrange the meat so that they are tight and close to each other.
Gently pour the chicken broth and the vino over it.

Add the garlic and the herbs too.
Bring to a soft boil.
Close the lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours.
Turn sides once in between.

After your meat has cooked remove it from the sauce.

Strain it through a sieve to remove the large pieces of vegetables.

Skim the fat accumulated on the surface.

Add the tomato paste and reduce the sauce.

The roux is added to thicken the sauce. You might not use all of it just add a little bit at a time until you have a nice velvety consistency similar to heavy cream.

Mix in the cream towards the very end.

Put the meat rolls back into the sauce.

Ready!

Takes a while... but totally worth it.
We had it over boiled potatoes and buttery Spätzle.

MMMMmmMMmmMMmmMmMm

:-)

Sui Mai (Shu Mai)

2010-03-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for dim sum! I mean why shouldn't I be? Teeny tiny mouthfuls of perfection! Unfortunately the ones you get in restaurants around here almost always has pork or shellfish in them. And since I am not really fond of either, I just end up drooling over the carts as they roll by. Not fair!

So I consider it a responsibility to try and make pork and shellfish free dim sum for my kind :-)

(prep time 15 mins + cook time 15 mins)
(makes 24-30)

Ingredients

Ground chicken meat 1 Lbs
Shiitake mushrooms 1/2 cup (sliced into thin threads)
Green onions 1/3 cup (chopped fine)
Garlic 1/2 tsp
Ginger 1/2 tsp
Soy sauce 1 tsp
Large Egg 1
Szechuan Pepper 1/3 tsp
Pepper 1/4 tsp
Salt
Round wonton wrappers
Peas for garnish

Gently fold in all the above ingredients (minus peas) together in a bowl. Your mixture is ready. Wasn't that easy? :-)The video below explains the wrapping procedure. Takes a little practice but not too hard. I had big time stage fright couldn't speak a word. But you can clearly see how it's done :-)

The stuffing itself is sticky enough so you don't have to moisten the wonton wrappers. Basically just squeeze and pinch the dim sum into shape between your index finger and thumb. Hmmm.... maybe for next time I won't put so many peas on the top.

Whatever steamer you use, bamboo or steel, it is a good idea to spread some shred carrots or cabbage on the bottom of your utensil to prevent the wonton wrapper from sticking to the surface.

For a bamboo steamer you can also use liners. Cut either aluminum foil or wax paper in a circular shape equal to the size of your steamer, punch a few holes in it, spray PAM on the surface, place the dim sum over these and steam. If using a steel one you won't need liners, use either shred veggies or PAM.

Steam for 10 mins and they are ready to devour :-)
These freeze well. I always make a huge batch. And you don't have to defrost, just steam them a couple of minutes extra.
I hope you make these :-)

Murgh Pulao

2010-03-12T03:20:00.000-08:00

Another good one from Pakistan! This is a very flavorful way of preparing rice. Basically rice is cooked in a perfectly aromatic and garlicky chicken broth and caramelised onions are added towards the end. You can eat this with some chutney or raita. And since it's not as spicy as Biryani, it's a good choice with all sorts of curries.
A great recipe for biryani here and here is one for a wonderful curry.

FYI my mom makes the best pulao!! No arguing that!
She taught it to my sister and my sis taught it to me :-)
(i tawt a taw a puddy tat)
I don't know where that came from. Maybe because its 3am and I need to sleep except I can't. A mild case of insomnia is the culprit and man these infomercials.
MUST WATCH ALL!
(i did, i did taw a puddy tat!)

Anyhoo... here is how it's made.

(Prep time 30 mins + 2 hours for broth)
(Enough for 3-4 people)
Ingredients

For the broth:
Chicken wings 8
Garlic 1/2 head
Green cardamom 3 whole pods
Black cardamom 3 whole pods
Cilantro/coriander seeds 1 Tbs whole
Cinnamon 1" stick
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Black peppercorn 1 tsp
Water 4 cups

For later:
Basmati rice 3 cups
Red onion slices 1/3 cup
Butter 2 Tbs
Oil for frying onions

Combine all the ingredients under broth in a large pot (don't add the stuff listed under "For later").
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to med high. Continue to boil covered for 2 hours.
Afterwards use a strainer and collect just the broth.
You should have four cups. You can add more water if you don't :-)
Allow the wings to cool down. You can pick the meat from the wings to add back to the rice later if you wish (I do this).
Heat some oil in a frying pan. Brown the onion until they are dark in color. This will be mixed with the rice at the very end.
Bring the broth to a boil and add rice.
Partially cover your pot and cook for 10-12 mins on med heat.
Reduce to low heat and cook completely covered for another 10 mins or until rice is fluffy.
Add the butter, caramelised onions and the meat from the wings.
Toss well. Ready!

:-)
Ta da!

Mochi Ice cream

2010-03-07T02:33:00.000-08:00

The first of this month was one of those days... you know the ones when an old old friend you haven't heard from in ages, fifteen years to be exact, calls you right out of the blues.

What an over whelming feeling it is. Left me smiling all day long :-) Something sweet and decadent today. Here's to life's little indulgences! This one is for you Afshan, a beautiful mom of a precious baby boy. Thanks for totally making my day :-)

Mochi is a rice cake that is eaten in Japan specially around new year. They are stuffed with all sorts fruits and almost always anko (sweet red bean paste) however the ice cream filling is a relatively new concept. Mochi is traditionally made by pounding steamed sweet rice in a large wooden bowl. Here is a neat little video I found on YouTube that shows how its done!

Following is a recipe for basic sweet mochi sometimes coconut milk or green tea is used instead of water. Most recipes that I found used only rice flour. I added a bit of tapioca starch so that it will stay soft longer at room temp and also freeze well.

Ingredients

All of these were available from Uwajimaya.
1 cup glutinous rice flour (Mochiko)
1/2 cup tapioca flour or starch
Potato starch (Katakuri) for dusting purposes. You can use corn starch instead if you want
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup + 2 Tbs of water
Food colors red and green (optional)
Green tea ice cream 1 pint
Adzuki bean ice cream 1 pint

The above amounts would make enough mochi for one pint of ice cream.
I made two batches. The first I colored green for the Adzuki bean ice cream and the second I colored pink for the green tea ice cream.

The first step would be to scoop out the ice cream on a plate in eight equal portions and refreeze. Once they are hard you can round them off with your hands and freeze again.

Now lets make mochi :-)
The mixture will be steamed so use a steel mixing bowl that can fit inside a larger pot.
Fill the larger pot with about 1" of water. Since we are steaming this, it is important that the bottom of the bowl containing the mixture should never touch the water. Therefore place a stand or an inverted cup inside the large pot so that the small bowl can sit on top of it. You should be able to put a lid or a plate and seal the larger pot.
Sounds complicated? :-)
The rest is easier :-)
Combine the rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar and water. Mix really well don't want any lumps. Add food coloring just 2 drops were enough for a pastel shade.
Carefully place this bowl inside the steamer. Cover and steam on med heat for 15-18 mins. That's it.
It will be really really sticky :-)
Take out the dough on a clean surface which is dusted quite liberally with potato starch.
Knead it gently and roll it out in a log. Cut into eight equal parts.
Below is a picture of the frozen ice cream balls next to the mochi. I love the color contrast :-)

When the mochi is cold, roll out each section into a round disc about 5" diameter and roughly 1/4" thick. Place the ice cream ball in the center. Bring the sides up - twist, seal and break off the extra mochi in one sassy move.

Here is a lil video that explains it :-)
Let the mochi ice cream sit out for 5-8 minutes before biting into it!

Tortellini in Blue Cheese Sauce

2010-02-24T18:33:00.000-08:00

Another pasta dish :-)
This one I coined up using some leftover cheese and sour cream. It turned out quite fantastic!
Tastes good warm, room temperature or chilled. How great is that?

(serves 2)
(prep time 30 mins)
The Sauce

Blue cheese 1/3 cup (crumbled)
Sour cream 1/3 cup
Whole milk 2/3 cup
Flour 1 Tbs
Butter 1 1/2 Tbs
Coarse ground pepper 1/4 tsp
Red chili flakes 1/3 tsp (optional)
Salt

Melt butter in a frying pan.
Add flour and stir. Reduce heat to medium and cook the flour and butter for a minute.
Pour in the milk. Stir well make sure there are no lumps. Cook for three minutes until the milk is bubbly.
Turn the heat to low and add the blue cheese. Also add the sour cream.
Allow the cheese to melt. Use the back of your spoon to break up the cheese bits.
Season with salt. Add pepper and chili flakes.
Done!

*Spinach 1/2 cup (chopped and drained)
*Artichoke hearts 1/3 cup
Red onions 1 1/2 Tbs (chopped fine)
Garlic 1/2 tsp (chopped fine)
Butter 1 1/2 Tbs
Salt

In a separate frying pan melt some butter and cook the onions until translucent.
Add the garlic. Cook for a minute.
Toss in the artichoke hearts and spinach. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 3-4 minutes.
Done!

(* I used frozen)

Put it all together

Boil 2 cups of fresh cheese tortellini in lots of salted boiling water.
Cook El-dente. Takes me about 7-8 minutes.
Drain.
Combine the pasta in the cheese sauce.
Add the veggies and gently fold in.
Just before eating I sprinkled some more blue cheese crumbles and a small amount of fresh chopped Roma tomatoes on top!

We absolutely loved it!
Give it a try... lemme know what you think.

:-)

My 2nd class....

2010-02-23T22:40:00.000-08:00

Wow! Wow! Wow!
I am just so LUCKY! Such WONDERFUL people I met tonight!
Everybody did such a FANTASTIC job!
Many Many thanks to Linda and Ginny :-)

Hurry up let it be March already! Can't wait for the next one!!
:-)
:-)

Visit http://www.cooksworld.net/ for more info about class schedule.

My world famous banana bread muffins :-)

2010-02-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

These are super moist and terribly delish! I promise you won't regret making them. The secret ingredient here is maple syrup. Use just a tablespoon and that will make all the difference.

Makes 12 med size muffins

(Prep time 15 mins)

(Bake time 20 mins)
Ingredients

All purpose flour 1 1/2 cups
Bananas (really really brown and ripe) 3 large

Baking soda 1 tsp
Baking powder 1 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Egg 1 large
White sugar 1/3 cup

Light brown sugar 2/3 cup

Maple Syrup 1 Tbs
Butter 1/3 cup + 1 Tbs

Streusel topping

Butter 2 Tbs

Brown sugar 1/2 cup

All purpose flour 4 Tbs

Cinnamon 1 tsp

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare your muffin pan by first rubbing a little butter inside and then lining with cupcake liners.
Squish the bananas with a fork or a potato masher. Its OK if you have small bits of fruit just don't use a blender it makes the bananas very sticky!
In a large bowl whisk together white and brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, egg and melted butter.
Gradually fold the flour (combined with the baking powder and baking soda) 2-3 tablespoons at a time to the banana mixture.
Your batter is ready.Time for the topping.
Very simple...
In a bowl melt the butter.
Add flour, sugar and cinnamon.
Combine with a fork.
This mixture should resemble coarse crumbles. Now divide the batter equally into the muffin pan.
Sprinkle the topping equally on each muffin.
Bake. I have made these several times and 20 mins is all it needs.

You can check by inserting a toothpick in the center and if it comes out with not too much crumbs on it, its done.

Cool on a wire rack....enjoy!

Ta da!

{heart}
Nabia

For my honey...

2010-02-14T15:12:00.000-08:00

Another year.... another Valentine's day.

This one not much different from last year's :-) accept maybe that my sweetheart is a little sick. I made him this special breakfast of homemade buttermilk biscuits and scrambled eggs.

The biscuits were very easy to make, incredibly flaky and wayyyy better than anything that comes out of a can! If you don't like eggs try the biscuits with butter and some fruit preserves.

(prep time 40 mins)

(enough for 2)

Buttermilk Biscuits

Flour 1/3 cup

Honey 1/2 Tbs

Salt 1/4 tsp

Baking powder 1/4 tsp

Baking soda 1/4 tsp

Buttermilk 1/3 cup

Shortening or Butter 3 Tbs (very very cold and chopped up in tiny pieces)

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Stir in the honey and the shortening/butter.

Work with a fork and mix until the flour resembles coarse crumbs.

Pour in the buttermilk and combine well with a fork.

Take this mixture out on a floured surface and knead gently. Don't overdo this step.

Use your fingers and spread out the dough into a 1" thick circle.

I used a heart shape cutter and made 2 biscuits.

Lightly brush a little butter over the biscuits.

Bake for 5 mins. Turn the heat down to 400 degrees and continue to bake for another 13-15 mins.

Scrambled Eggs

While the biscuits are baking you can make the eggs anyway you want. I made mine the following way.

Eggs 3 large

Chopped red peppers 2 Tbs

Chopped shallots 1 Tbs

Peas 3 Tbs

Jarlsberg Cheese 4 Tbs (shredded)

Coarse Pepper 1/2 tsp

Salt

A little butter for cooking

Heat the butter in a frying pan.

Whip the eggs, the veggies, salt and pepper together in a bowl.

Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook until eggs are set.

Sprinkle the cheese over the eggs and allow to melt.

Done :-)

I spilt the biscuits in half spread a little butter and placed the eggs in between the 2 halves.

Chicken Corn Soup

2010-02-11T12:17:00.000-08:00

I love soups... and Seattle provides many rainy days to enjoy a nice warm steaming bowl. Below is my Mom's recipe for one of my most favorite kind. Its Chinese originally but perhaps more popular in Pakistan than anywhere else. You can find plenty of stalls on the street selling it for not too much at all :-)

(prep time 30 mins + 2 hours for the stock)
(serves 4-6 ppl)
Ingredients

For the stock Chicken wings about 18
Green/spring onions 3-5 stems (not bundles)
Ginger approx 1"x1" piece (quartered)
Water 5 cups
Combine the above ingredients together in a large stock pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium low and boil for at least 2 hours. Keep the pot covered.
After its been boiling for 2 hours turn the heat off and allow it cool down so you can easily handle it.
Pour the stock through a strainer to separate the chicken and other bits and chunks.
Remove the skin and bones from the wings and pull off the meat. We will add this into the soup. If you want you can add a few drumsticks along with the wings when making the stock. Those are easier to clean and handle compared to the wings.
For a nice fat free stock refrigerate it for several hours. The fat will rise to the surface and form a hard shell that can be easily scraped off.

OK lets move on. Some more ingredients.

Sweet corn 16oz can (Use a blender and give the corn a few 2 second pulses. The texture should be chunky not creamy)
Water 2 cups
Pepper 1 tsp (coarse ground)
Brown sugar 1/2 tsp
Cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp (optional)
Egg whites 3-4 large (lightly beaten)
Corn flour 2 Tbs (mixed with some water)
Salt

Re-heat the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Add two cups of water, the chicken meat and the squished corn kernels.
Season with salt, back pepper, cayenne pepper and sugar.
Reduce the heat and pour in the corn flour slurry. Keep stirring to avoid any lumps that might form.
Reduce the heat even further and when the soup is just softly simmering slowly pour the egg whites in the center of your pot and keep stirring gently gently gently throughout. The eggs will cook and form flowy ribbons almost immediately.

Finished!
So yummy with toasted bread and a little butter.

Crispy Fried Wings

2010-01-30T21:22:00.000-08:00

These were INCREDIBLE! No kidding! I am no photographer the pic might not look so good but take my word for it. Extremely CRISPY outside and extremely JUICY inside. We had them with a blue cheese dipping sauce. YUMEEEE YUM YUM!

I love using my coffee grinder for grinding up different spices. It's the alchemist in me. I feel like I am making some sort of mysterious magical powder. Crazy I know... I blame the lunatics in my head :-)
Anyway the point for this is that all the spices listed below (except of course the garlic powder) are whole.

(serves 4-6)
(prep time 30 mins + marinating time)
Marinade

Chicken wings about 14 (I snipped the ends off and saved them for chicken stock)
Dried chipotle pepper 1 med sized
Dried red chili 1 large
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Black peppercorns 1 tsp
Garlic powder 2/3 tsp

Grind the above spices together and rub on the chicken wings.Marinade in the fridge for a couple of hours.
No salt as it draws out the moisture from the meat. Season with salt just before cooking.

Batter

Flour 1 cup
Egg 1 large
Dark Ale or Soda water 1/3 cup
Dried Thyme 1/2 tsp
Paprika 1/2 tsp
Salt

Mix the above ingredients together in a large bowl.
Pour the soda water little by little. You might need more or less depending on how much flour you have.
The batter shouldn't be lumpy and about as thick as warm custard.
Sprinkle some salt over the chicken wings.
Heat oil in a deep sauce pan.
Dip the wings in the batter shake off the extra.
Gently put them in the hot oil.
The oil shouldn't be very hot. Adjust the heat so batter doesn't burn.
(The highest temp on my electric stove top is 8 and I had to adjust the temp between 7 and 6)
The wings need to cook for 8 mins at least.
Take them out and let them cool on a wire rack. Doing this will also allow the extra oil to drip off.
Done!

Dipping sauce

Blue cheese crumbles 2 Tbs
Sour cream 1 Tbs
Mayo 1 Tbs
White wine vinegar 1 tsp
Pepper 1/4 tsp
Salt

Place the blue cheese on the counter for 10 mins so its easier to blend.
Whip all the ingredients together in bowl.
Done!
Dip away my friend dip away......
:-)

Last night's class :-)

2010-01-20T16:50:00.000-08:00

These are some photos from yesterday.
I had tons of fun and great help from the students and my two very lovely assistants :-)
Looking forward to February's class!
More info @ http://www.cooksworld.net/
{heart}

Hey everybody...

2009-12-10T13:20:00.000-08:00

Taking a small break from posting recipes. I'd be teaching Indian delicacies starting January at Cooks World-Seattle's best place for cooking classes!
Click here for more details.

Ravioli

2009-11-14T16:34:00.000-08:00

Il mio cibo preferito è Italiano!

pic of finished dish soon! bad lighting right now!

(prep time 45 mins)
(serves 2-3 ppl)

I think the Italian's have nailed it!
I LOVE pasta!
I have been wanting to make raviolis for a long time now! Finally today I was able to get these lovely fresh pasta sheets from De Laurenti in Pike place market. They had three different kinds plain, spinach and pumpkin! I got two plain and one spinach.

I wanted something with Gorgonzola cheese and a brown butter sauce. So I searched the net and the first one that shows up is a recipe by Emeril Lagasse. How perfect is that? It isn't very often that you find exactly what you want on the first link that appears. I think he is a great chef and wouldn't mess with his recipe but I was short on some ingredients so this is a variation of Emeril's. Here is a link to the original source.
And I should prolly mention that De Laurenti also has some mouth watering pasta recipes on their website!

Ingredienti

Gorgonzola cheese 1/2 cup
Ricotta cheese 1/4 cup
Philadelphia cream cheese 1/4 cup
Garlic powder 1/4 tsp
Salt
Pepper

Mix all these ingredients together with a fork until they are smooth (small little bumps are OK). Gorgonzola needs a little work the other two cheeses are very soft and mix effortlessly.

Metodo

First I folded the pasta sheets gently like paper to make marks for equal size boxes.
Then I used the back of my knife to gently draw along the fold lines to see each box clearer (you can see the lines in the picture below). I did that on all pasta sheets.
Then I smeared a little of the cheese mixture right in the middle of each box.
Leave a little space on all four sides of each box so that it can be sealed.
Moisten the edges (all the bare parts of the pasta that you see in the picture) with a little water, use your fingertip.
Lay another pasta on top and press along the edges to seal and then cut with a knife or pasta cutter. I like cutting with a knife because I feel the straight edges look more rustic!
You have just created cheese filled pillows called raviolis :-)
I pinched the sides of each to make sure it was sealed before boiling.

Boil a pot full of water and salt.
Bring it to roaring boil and gently drop your raviolis in one by one.
Fresh pasta cooks very quick. Boil for 8 mins, drain, your raviolis with be perfectly el dente!

Sauce

I have to admit this sauce doesn't sound very healthy :-)
However once in a while should be fine.
Butter 3-4 Tbs
Sage 1-2 leaves
Flour 1/4 tsp
Salt
Pepper

Heat a non stick pan.Add butter and sage and melt over med high heat until it turns dark brown in color. It takes less than 2 mins for butter to reach this stage so keep an eye on it and swirl your pan once a while.
Sprinkle some flour in the hot butter.
Season with salt and pepper.
Pour over raviolis, toss!
Buon appetito!

Shish Tawook

2009-11-06T14:10:00.000-08:00

With buttery wild rice and grilled red onions!

This is a very Arabic recipe for grilled chicken kebobs.
I used a dried herb called Zaater to flavor this. You can find this easily in any speciality store. Zaater is milder but very similar to Thyme. You can substitute dried Thyme but cut the amount in half.

(prep time 30 mins + overnight marinating time)
(serves 2 ppl)
Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken thighs 1 1/2 lbs
Heavy cream 1/4 cup
Fresh lime juice 1/4 cup
Sumac 1 tsp
Garlic powder 1 tsp
Onion powder 1/2 tsp
Cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Pepper 1 tsp
Zaater 1 Tbs (heaped)
Salt
(this will not be added in the marinade. Will be sprinkled on the chicken just before grilling)

Cut the chicken meat in 2" cubes.
Mix all the ingredients (minus the salt) in a bowl.
Marinate the chicken overnight or at least 2 hours in this mixture.

Before grilling make sure the meat is room temp.

Skewer the meat on a bamboo stick. (Its a nice practice to soak the bamboo skewers in water for 30 mins to prevent burning)
Season with salt and grill for 20 mins or until cooked. Turn sides to ensure even cooking.

Marinated grilled onions

Red onion 4-5 thick sliced rings
Olive oil 1/4 cup
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Chili flakes 1/2 tsp
Salt (added just before cooking)

Marinade the onions in the above ingredients overnight or at least 2 hours.
Season with salt before cooking.
Grill alongside the chicken kebabs.

I served these with wild rice which I prepared according to package instruction. I used 3 Tbs of butter for a cup of rice.
I feel some Hummus would have been nice with this as well!
:-)

Stromboli

2009-11-01T18:32:00.001-08:00

So easy!

As Italian as it may sound, Strombolis were born in Philadelphia right here in the US of A.
It took me 10 mins to put this one together and I was done!
The traditional way would be use dough similar to french bread. And don't get me wrong. I would normally make the dough from scratch but I couldn't resist the sheet of puff pastry I had in my freezer nearing its expiration date!
Its basically bread layered with different meats and cheeses rolled up and baked.
The combination of meats and cheeses are endless!
I kept mine fairly simple to just 3 ingredients.
Dough-Meat-Cheese

(serves 2)
(prep time 10 mins bake time 40 mins)
Method

I rolled out my puff pastry over a lightly floured surface.
Then I layered slices of Pastrami all over the dough. Leaving 1/3" space from the edges.Then slices of smoked Gouda... yum yum.
I used close to 1/2 lbs of Pastrami. And 4 oz of smoked Gouda.
No need for any condiments.
The Pastrami had a nice peppery crust.
No need for any dipping sauce.The Gouda melts so gooda. (I know this is a cheesy line but since we are talking about cheese why the heck not)
Tuck the sides in and roll it up like a log.
Make a few vent cuts on top.
Paint some egg wash over it.
This is now ready for the oven.
Bake for 30-35 min (or until golden brown) in a preheated oven at 400 degrees.
Let it sit for 10 mins before slicing.
:-)

Daal Makhani

2009-10-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

Pardon my Daal
Lemony, buttery. Doesn't get better than this!

(serves 2)
(prep time 40 mins + 1 hour soaking)

You will need

Channa daal 1 cup (soaked for about 1 hour)
Green chilies 2 tsp
Garlic 1 tsp
Juice of half a lime
Butter 2 Tbs (Unsalted)
Turmeric 2/3 tsp
Cayenne pepper 2/3 tsp
Pepper 2/3 tsp
Cilantro/coriander powder 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil for cooking 3 Tbs

Method
Heat some oil in a pot.
Fry the garlic and chilies for about 30 seconds or so.
Add all the spices.... fry for a few seconds.
Pour in about 1 1/2 cup of water and add the lentils.
Squeeze in lime juice.
Bring to a boil.
Cover the pot and cook over med high for about 20 mins or until the lentils are tender.
Stir in between. You might also need to add more water. The consistency should be like a thick soup.
Turn off the heat and stir in the butter.
I sprinkled some very coarse peppercorns over the top.
Ta da!
Good with Naan or plain rice. Or just on its own!
{heart}

Panini II

2009-10-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

GO BEEF!

I found some gorgeous rare (as in doness) roast beef. I had to make a sandwich or better a panini!

Very simple steps and a wonderfully delicious result.
Lets get started!

(serves 2)
(prep time 20 mins)
Step 1
You will start with some good hearty bread
I used a garlic parmesan focaccia bread
Step 2Then you will need some meat
I used a combo of 1/4 lbs rare roast beef plus 1/4 lbs pepper crusted smoked turkey
Step 3
Cheese of course
I used 2 slices of Havarti per serving
Step 4
Some veggies
I used fire roasted red pepper halves
Step 5
A sauce of some kind to spread on the bread
I whipped up 2 Tbs Mayo + 1/2 Tbs Mustard + 1 tsp chopped shallots + 1 tsp chopped dill pickles + salt/pepper

Assemble the sandwich.
Oil and heat a cast iron grill pan and panini press (or use an electric panini press)
Grill for 8 mins per side on med high heat.
Serve with a nice big broccoli salad!
:-)

Aash e Shalgham

2009-10-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

Aash and I.......

"Aash" is a hearty Persian soup just meant for winters.
I've heard that they have AT LEAST a bazzlion different ways of making it!
I had a couple of turnips lying around so I made this... however I am dying to try Aash-e-anar made with fresh pomegranate seeds..... sounds so perfect!

I searched the net for a good authentic recipe source for this particular soup and came across the same version splattered on several different sites. That recipe seemed a bit plain and the quantity of the onions and turmeric used sounded like a lot! So I tweaked it just a bit. And I think it came out terrific :-)

(Enough for 4-5 servings)
(Prep time: 45 mins)
Ingredients

Ground lean beef 1 lbs
Turnips 2 cups ( I chopped these into tiny 1/2" squares)
Yellow split peas 1/4 cup (Soaked in water for 45 min)
Basmati rice 1/2 cup + Tbs
Onions 1/2 cup (chopped very fine)
Garlic 1 tsp (minced)
Green chili 1/2 tsp (minced)
Fresh mint 1 Tbs (chopped very fine)
White vinegar 1 tsp
Butter 3 Tbs (unsalted)
Turmeric 1 rounded tsp
Sumac 2/3 tsp
Pepper
Salt
Oil for frying

Methodology and all that....

First step is to make the meatballs... and you do that by combining the ground beef, onions, garlic, chilies in a large bowl. Add sumac, salt and a good amount of pepper (I used approx 2/3 tsp).
Make 1" dia balls. You will have close to 18 meatballs.
Now we are going to shallow fry these. Heat enough oil t0 submerge the meatballs half way.
Cook for 1 min each side. They will cook fully in the soup. Right now we are looking for a nice brown color.
Take out the meatballs and keep aside.
Boil 3 cups of water in a heavy base wide pot.
Add the turnips, rice and the split peas.
Season with salt. Add the turmeric... good amount of pepper.
Cover the pot and cook for 30 mins.
This gets thick and might burn the bottom of the pan so stir frequently and add more water if needed.
The consistancy should be like runny porridge.
Use the back of your spoon to mash some pieces of turnip against the pot.
Gently add the meatballs.
Lower the heat cover the pot and simmer away for 15 mins.
In the last five mins add the mint, the butter and the vinegar.
Mix well..
You can now enjoy a delicious bowl of Aash!
Perfect!
:-)

Cream Puffs

2009-10-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

And this is how its done!

The filling was 5 oz Jell-O instant vanilla pudding made with 2 cups of cold milk. It tasted too much like fake vanilla and was too yellow and too sweet. I didn't like that! So I whipped 1/3 cup of plain heavy cream and mixed it in with the pudding. It turned a gorgeous pale yellow and very very creamy!I used Chef Alton Brown's recipe for the choux pastry, however I doubled the amount of sugar to 2 Tbs. And considering the amount of eggs used I added 1/2 tsp of vanilla to prevent the puffs from smelling eggy...yuck!

The baking directions are perfect!
I dusted the cream puffs lightly with powdered sugar!

P.S. You can also find the show on youtube :-)

The big three oh-no!

2009-10-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

My beautiful sister made the most beautiful brownie cake for my 30th!
Quite possibly the best birthday a gal can have :-)
Sis ur the best muah muah!
:-)

Gołąbki

2009-10-01T11:45:00.000-07:00

These are a Polish comfort food called Golapkis or cabbage rolls. SO GOOD!
Absolutely terrific during the winters!
The traditional way is to slow bake them. I find that cooking on very low heat is just as good.

(This recipe will be good for 4 ppl)
(Prep time: 1 1/2 hours)
Ingredients

Ground beef 1/2 lbs
(I used ground chuck and veal 2:1)Uncooked long grain rice 1/8 cup
(I used basmati rice)
Cabbage 8 leaves
(I used savoy cabbage)Flat leaf Italian parsley 3-4 Tbs chopped fine
Button mushrooms 2 Tbs chopped fine
Fire roasted red bell pepper 2 Tbs chopped fine (optional)
Red onions 1 Tbs chopped fine
Melted butter 1 Tbs
Garlic 1 tsp crushed
Egg yolk 1 large
Red wine vinegar 1 Tsp
Chicken stock 3 cups
Tomatoes 1 cup
Sliced onions 1 cup
(I used canned fire roasted tomatoes)Chili flakes 1/8 tsp (optional)
Pepper 1/4 tsp
Salt

Method

In a bowl gently mix in everything but the cabbage leaves, chicken stock, the diced tomatoes and the sliced onions.
Keep aside

Preparing the cabbage leaves

I usually get a small head of Savoy cabbage. You can use regular cabbage.
Cut out the core with a sharp paring knife.
I find it useful to insert the knife at an angle and then cut out the core with a circular motion.
Boil water in a large pot and then turn off the heat.
You should have enough water to dunk an entire head of cabbage.
Put the cabbage into the hot water and after a min or two you can very easily peel off the leaves with a pair a tongs without any trouble.
You will need about 8-9 leaves for the amount of meat we are using.
Pat dry with some tissue paper.
Trim out the tough rib that runs through the center of the cabbage leaf.
One side of the cabbage leaf will tend to curve up when placed on a flat surface. Keep that side face up.
Now you are ready for the meat.
Spoon about 2 Tbs of the meat stuffing at the bottom edge of the leaf (where the tough rib is).
Now fold in the sides of the leaf and roll up like you would a spring roll.
Don't do this very tightly because the rice will expand when cooked, so fold firmly but gently.

Place the sliced onions at the bottom of a pan.
Arrange the rolls snugly on top of the onions.
Pour in the chicken stock.
Add the tomatoes.
Cover.
Bring it to a gentle boil.
Turn the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
Finished!
Enjoy this with thick slices of crusty bread!
:-)