Macaroons

Those Lovely , light-as-air , delightfully crunchy Macaroons. As french as they come. Macaroons are delightful on their own or as a base for ice cream, pastry , or wicked chocolate fantasies.

They look inviting and simple and trust me , they really ARE simple to make . All you need is patience and a little practise. There are many methods to make Macaroons , here is the simplest

2 egg whites, 1/2 cup powdered and sifted sugar, 1 tsp essence ( vanilla ), about 15 almonds finely powdered.

Start by heating the oven to 180 Deg C for 45 mins.

Place the egg whites in a deep bowl , with electric whisk, beat the egg whites till soft peaks form. Slowly add the powdered sugar ( a tablespoon at a time) . Take a basin in which you can place the bowl of egg whites, in a way that the bowl comfortably sits on top of the basin . Heat water in the basin, but do not allow to boil. Place the bowl on the basin and whisk till the mixture thickens.Take off the basin and add the powdered almonds and essence ( I have put in orange)  .Further whisk the batter till cool.

Take a greased tray and place spoonfuls of batter on it.


Place in the hot oven and switch off the oven.
 Let the macaroons remain in the oven till it cools completely.

Check the top for crispness. When completely cooled, place in an airtight container.



This is the basic Macaroon. More variations and recipes will follow.

Goan Prawn Curry

Prawns/Shrimps 2 cups, peeled and deveined, Coconut 1 cup , finely grated; 1 small raw mango- sliced, Turmeric Powder 1 tsp, 2-4 dry red chillies,pinch of red chilli powder, 1 tsp whole coriander seeds, onion 1 small finely chopped,
salt to taste,oil 1 tsp, ½ tsp raw rice, 4-6 black peppercorns,
water


Wash prawns and marinate with a pinch salt, a pinch of turmeric powder and a pinch of chilli powder. Grind grated coconut , corriander ,chillies, turmeric, peppercorns, rice, and half of the chopped onion, to a fine paste. Thickly slice raw mango.Heat the oil in a broad, heavy based pot. Add onions and fry till  light brown, add in the raw mango slices, till a little soft, add in the prawns and a little water. cover and cook for 2 mins. reduce heat and add the fine masala paste . Add twice the amount of water. Add salt to taste. Let the curry boil , uncovered for 5-10 minutes. Adjust the consistency by adding more water if needed.

 
A small variation to this is adding 1.5 " pieces of white radish / mooli. This tastes awesome.

Serve this curry with steamed rice. Its a great idea to mash the raw mango into the rice instead of discarding it.

Happy Tiffins

Have School going children? Whats your worst nightmare? Tiffins? Short Break snacks? Ok lets try to crack this one!

I have 3 kids with extremely different tastes and peeves, some bordering on the illogical. One hates tomatoes , while another hates mushrooms, the third will diligently pick out all kinds of capsicum or corn. One hates tomato ketchup, the other gags at the smell of mayo and so we go on and on and on.
One thing however they all agree on is sandwiches. As long as I am able to change the fillings, they are very happy with sandwiches.

Lets look at the various fillings options ( This may read like a subway menu)
Breads
1. Sliced bread any kind
2. Bagels
3. Croissants
4. Pav
5. Rotis.

Sliced
1. Veggies: Tomatoes, boiled potatoes, onions, cucumbers, capsicum,olives , gherkins.
2. Shredded: Apples, cabbage, letteuce, kale, celery, carrots.
3. Coleslaw, chicken salad, Russian salad, garden salad ( sliced and shredded mixed vegetables)
4. Cheese, paneer, boiled, fried egg
5. salami, ham, bacon.meat loaf, spam,
6. Grilled patties of chicken, meat, boneless fish , potato chops, veg cutlets, fish fingers, french fries,chicken nuggets.
7. Leftover tandoori chicken, grilled meats, Chinese preparations, dry mix vegetables.

Sauces to moisten the sandwiches a bit.
1. Tomato Ketchup/ sauce / hot n sweet
2. mayonnaise/ thousand island sauce
3. cheese sauce ( just heat a mixture of 1/2 cup grated cheese, 1/4 cup milk, salt if required)
4. Mustard, barbeque sauce, chilli sauce, yoghurt dip, cream cheese spread, sandwich spread ( made by mixing grated salad veggies, mayo and seasonings)
5. Home made chutneys : green coriander, mint, chilli garlic, coconut.

These are just to give you a basic idea of what can be tucked inside sandwiches
Then there are some favourites , which are very simple yet amazing.
Chutney and cheese, coconut chutney with white butter, chutney and cucumber, plain butter with lots of sugar sprinkled on the butter, honey on toast, coleslaw sandwich.Chip and dip sandwich ( french fries with sandwich spread :)

Have fun with the fillings and sauces and sometimes let the kids suggest options.

Chicken with Mushrooms- Coq Au Vin

My own very simple version of the classic French Coq Au Vin. Every once in a while , you are short on time , yet dont want to eat the same old boring food. The chicken needs minumum marination time. Infact by the time you mix the chicken and have fried the onions and mushrooms , the chicken is ready to go in the pan. Garlic bread or plain french bread is great with this chicken. Add in a side of mashed potatoes or frenh fries and Voila , you have a fancy dinner!

1 medium chicken, cut into medium size pieces, 1 cup sliced onions, 1 cup sliced mushrooms,2 tblsp chopped garlic,2 tblsp Worcestershire sauce,1 tsp roasted crushed peppercorns,1/2 cup red wine. 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp cornflour, salt - pepper to taste.3 tbsp oil.

Wash, clean the chicken pieces. Add in 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp vinegar and the cornflour to the chicken.mix well and keep aside for half an hour.
Heat 2 tblsp oil in a pan , when hot place the chicken in the pan . quick cook on both sides till the chicken is golden brown. Remove and keep warm. In the pan add in 1 tblsp oil , when hot add sliced onions and fry till the edges turn light brown. Add garlic, mushrooms . Stir till the mushrooms wilt a bit. Add in the chicken, peppercorns, Worcestershire sauce, wine and salt to taste. let the liquid bubble a bit , then turn down the flame and let the chicken cook. Serve with crusty bread.

Methi

Since early childhood we are urged to eat our green vegetables. Amongst the least favourites though are the green leafy ones. Palak ( Spinach), Methi (Fenugreek), Shepu/ Sua ( Dill), Chawli ( Amaranth), Lal Maath ( Red Leafy Amaranth), Mayalu/ Vali Bhajji ( Climbing Spinach), Bathua/ Chandan Batva (pigweed/ white goosefoot), Chuka ( Sorrel) etc.


As kids we were encouraged to eat our greens . We grew up loving them in all combinations and today one green leafy vegetable is a must everyday. Thankfully I managed to cajole my kids into eating and eventually enjoying these vegetables. While spinach is happily consumed with paneer ( cottage cheese) , cheese, corn or fried in oriental preparations, Methi is left to be cooked with the popular potato. Guess that way it is easy to consume.
We were introduced to methi in its various forms
Seeds: Used for tempering Upmas, Pumpkin curry, Kadhi.and in special ladoos
Sprouted Seeds: Khichadi, salad
Young leaves: Salad , pan fried vegetables
Greens: Vegetables, Salads, Daals, Theplas, Namkeens
Dried: To flavour curries, tikkas, chicken gravies

Sprouted Methi Seeds

Young Methi leaves

Young leaves

There is a lot to be said for the benefits of Methi.

Methi is a natural source of  protein, calcium, phosphorus and iron and its mineral and vitamin contents are also very high and this is easily absorbed by our body. Regular use of  methi seeds reduces deposits of fat in the body and lowers cholesterol.They are highly beneficial in the treatment of diabetes.

The most effective way to eat methi seeds is to sprout them a little, then dry the sprouts, powder them and include in the everyday diet. You can have it in powdered form, as a decoction and herb tea.

Paste of the fresh leaves and coconut milk applied over the scalp is believed to prevent hair-loss, promote hair growth, preserve its natural color, delay graying of hair and make it silky soft.

Add the powder of methi seeds with coconut oil and massage it on your scalp. Wash it off the next day with cold water. This helps to prevent premature graying of hair.A paste of methi leaves mixed with vinegar is good for treating dandruff.

Applying the paste of methi leaves and turmeric on your face is very good for pimple and blackhead prone skin.

Ambadi Udda methi

1 tsp oil, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds,1 tsp urad ( split and husked horsebean) , 1 and 1/4 tsp methi dana (fenugreek seeds),1/2 cup grated coconut,2 dry red chillies, 1 tsp dhania ( dry corriander ) seeds , a pinch of hing ( asafoetida) , gud ( jaggery ) size of a small lemon ,1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 4-5 Ambade ( hog plums). salt to taste.

Thinly peel the ambade.Heat a little oil in a small pan and when hot add the urad dal and fenugreek, coriander and dry red chillies.Roast it on a slow flame till it gives out a toasty fragrance .Mix with the coconut, add turmeric and grind to a smooth fine paste. Heat a tsp of oil , when hot add mustard seeds . When they splutter, add hing. Next, add a little water and the ambade. Add the jaggery and salt.When the ambade feel soft to the touch, add in the coconut paste and bring to a gentle boil on slow flame. Remove from heat.

This uddamethi can also be made from raw mango ( thinly peeled and cubed), or just using slit fat green chillies which are not very hot.

Serve hot with rotis, dosas or steamed rice.

Three Layer Pasta

Three layer pasta

1 cup fussilini/ macaroni/ cappelini/ farfelle

2 cups mixed vegetables of choice, chopped ( carrots, beans, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, )

2 cups milk

4 tblsp oilve oil

2 tomatoes , deseeded and finely chopped

1 cup of cottage cheese or mince

1 big onion

a few sprigs of basil

salt , pepper to taste

½ cup Cheese grated.

Boil the pasta in a pot of hot boiling water, with 2 tsp of salt. Cook till al dente. Drain, keep warm. Make a roux with 2 tblsp butter and 1 tblsp flour. cook till the flour turns a little pink. slowly add the milk  so that no lumps are formed. Mix well till the sauce thickens. Add salt n pepper to taste. Add it to the pasta. Steam the chopped vegetables with a little salt. heat olive oil, fry the onions till soft and translucent. Add chopped garlic and tomatoes. add in chopped basil . crumble in the mince or the cottage cheese , season with salt and cook the sauce till the mince is done.o assemble. Place the pasta along with the sauce in the bottom of the casserole. cover with the vegetables. Lastly pour over the mince / cottage cheese sauce and evenly spread it till the pasta and vegetables are completely covered.

Sprinkle the cheese over the sauce and cook in a hot oven for about 10 minutes.

Corn and Vegetable Pasta

This is made from the fancy coloured pasta available in stores today. Here I have used a corn and vegetable pasta, great for people who do not use refined flour or wheat based pasta.

The recipe is generic . The basic white sauce , I have just added a bit of basil for taste.Apart from that this is a vegetarian dish which uses no onions, garlic or root vegetables. Hence can be served in a Jain meal.

1 cup pasta , vegetables of your choice. 2 cups milk, 2 tblsp flour, basil leaves ground to a paste, about 1 tblsp of the paste, salt to taste, 2 tblsp oilve oil.pepper to taste.

Heat oil , quick cook the vegetables till they are still crunchy. take out the vegetables. Mix milk and flour to a smooth paste. Add the basil pesto till oil separates.Add the milk paste, mix well and cook on a slow flame till the sauce thickens. Add in boiled pasta, vegetables. Serve hot.

Risotto- Chicken and Mushroom

Its a myth that Italian food is difficult to cook. Nothing could be further from the truth. It just takes a little understanding of pairing of the seasonings and meats / vegetables. Once we get the right combinations, its easy, quick and exotic. Here is a basic risotto.

1 cup Arborio riz / risotto rice, 2 tblsp olive oil, 1 big onion chopped, 2 tblsp garlic chopped, 8-10 mushrooms sliced, 50 gms boneless chicken ( marinated with salt & pepper and a few drops of lemon juice), salt pepper to taste, 2 cup chicken stock, 4 tbsp grated cheese ( of your choice) , you can use multiple variety of cheese as well.

Heat a heavy bottomed shallow pan.Heat the oil in it, add chopped onion. Sautee trill they look transparent and their edges turn light brown, add in the mushrooms and garlic.cook for 2 minutes and add in the rice. Cook till all the grains are well coated with oil . Add in the thinly sliced chicken and saute till the chicken is opaque.
Now add hot chicken stock and salt and mix well. Lower the flame and cover and cook till the rice grains are well cooked and al dente.Season with pepper and add the cheese. Mix till the cheese has melted and and the sauce evenly coates the rice.

Serve hot.

Chocolate Pancakes

Sunday Breakfast merits special treats. This is a perfect treat on a rainy sunday morning or a winter sunday. Chocolate pancakes and a cup of cappuccino are the perfect combo.
Heres the easiset way to get there.

1 cup Maida ( flour), 2 Eggs , ½ cup Sugar,1½ tsp. Cinnamon powder , ¼ cup milk, Oil for frying, 2 tablespoons chocolate chips( or chopped chocolate). Suggested garnish Icing sugar, cinnamon powder, whipped cream.

Whisk the 2 eggs till smooth, gradually mix in the flour ,cinamon powder, chocolate chips, add in the milk and whisk till it is of a thick pouring consistency.

Cover and keep aside for about half an hour. Heast a gridle/ pan/ tawa, brush with oil .Then pour a small ladle full of batter and give it a gentle shake till it flattens out. Cook on a slow flame till the egdes look crispy and the centre is set. Flip and cook till a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Serve with a generous dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon powder or with whipped cream

Couscous Ameeri Khaman

The use of couscous is catching on fast. With the ready to cook variety available it is a quick n easy snack. I have used it in various Indian preparation like pulao and upma. This is another favourite.
Couscous is prepared by soaking in hot water ( usually 1 1/2 : 1 water to couscous ) . Before adding the water, seson it with turmeric 1/2 tsp, salt to taste and 1 tsp sugar. Stir till sugar dissolves. Add to the couscous , cover and keep. Heat 2 tsp oil. Add in mustard seeds 1/4 tsp, 1 finely chopped green chilli, 1 tsp sesame seeds. Pour the seasoning over the couscous. Mix well, adjust salt. Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and thin sev.

Thali

Thalis are an indulgent treat. Thali is basically a meal served in individual plates, with all courses served together. This usually has a wide range of foods from chutneys,pickles, salads, yoghurt based raitas, bite size snacks,different types of Rotis or Breads, Green Vegetables,sprouts and lentils, rice,sweets and fritters etc. Some communities serve non vegetarian food as well.Thali is also a term used for set meals served at restaurants , which may be limited or unlimited.

The dishes served in this thali in clockwise direction starting at lobia / chawli (black eyed beans) at 12 O clock position, next lauki / doodhi ( bottle gourd), paneer ( cottage cheese), Shrikhand ( sweet cream cheese dessert), Poori ( fried flat bread), kheera/ kakdi raita ( cucumber and yoghurt salad), last and the most popular sookha aaloo( seasoned roasted potato )  . In the middle is rice served with dal ( cooked , mashed, seasoned lentil curry) with a generous serving of ghee ( clarified butter)

Thalis are served at most functions like marriages, festivals, religious ceremonies to celebrate rite of passage like baby showers,naming ceremonies, mundan, Thread ceremony , engagements etc . Though the sit down dinner is now replaced with the buffet, certain communities still have the formal sit down meals , which are literally 'sit-down' . Guests sit on long strips of carpetting, empty large dinner plates also known as Thalis are placed in front of the guests either on the floor or a raised patra/ paat ( very low wooden tables)  and are served by the women of the house. The food is served in particular sequence starting with salt, lemon wedges,chutney, pickle, salad, yoghurt salad, dry vegetables, gravies, fritters or bite sized snacks, papad (poppadoms) pooris/ rotis, rice dish/ dishes, butter milk, dals and sweets.

A Thali is best enjoyed at leisure with family and friends. A lot of good natured leg pulling and name calling creates a perfect ambience to the Thali serving .