Gado Gado Salad

As all salads go, this one wins as my favourite salad. Its a bit fussy because of the dressing , but combines health , taste and visual appeal in one simply irresistible dish. I often eat it as a complete dinner along with a simple tomato soup. The dressing once made, keeps well for 2-3 days. So you can enjoy this salad once more. Aaaah.

Its basically a combination of cooked and raw vegetables. Its got crispness , its got crunch and the satiator of all cravings PEANUT BUTTER. You can use crushed roasted unsalted peanuts if you like instead. Every next person has a slight variation in the dressing of this salad. It does'nt matter, you may find your own variation by tweaking a couple of ingredients. I'm giving here my suggested dressing.

For the Dressing
1 tblsp Mango Chutney / any sweet and sour pickle
2 cloves Garlic
1 Green Chilli
1 tblsp Lime Juice
1 tblsp soy sauce
a small bunch fresh corriander leaves
1/2 cup Chunky Peanut butter or Crushed roasted peanuts

4 tbsp Coconut Milk
salt to taste


Vegetables
Blanched French Beans kept whole and chilled
Blanched carrot juliennes as thick as the beans and chilled
Shredded cabbage/ chinese cabbage

Blanched Broccoli

Blanched Caulifower
Beansprouts
Sliced Tomatoes
Thick Cucumber Juliennes
Shredded Lettuce

Cubed, boiled potatoes( can be fried if you like) 

I have not mentioned the quantity of vegetables , but roughly about 4 cups of all vegetables mixed is good. Any vegetable can be skipped. Honestly this is a great salad to make if you are cleaning out your fridge. Just use whichever of these are available.
Put all the dressing ingredients , except peanut butter/ peanuts , into a blender. Puree them. Mix in the peanut butter/ peanuts and give one short whip.
Mix the vegetables and pour the dressing on it. Serve without mixing. You can serve it with a boiled egg on the side or sliced tofu. You can added boiled chicken. A sprinkle of brown fried onions adds a nice flavour to the salad. 

Semiyan Kheer

No traditional Indian meal is complete without a sweet dish. This sweet is usually served with the meal as against like a dessert , served after the meal. Certain sweets are eaten with the special Poories or fried bread that is customary to any festive or special Indian meal. Hence we have the combination of Halwa Poori, Kheer Poori, Aamras Poori , all part of  the main meal. Kheer is typically a sweet with milk as a base. It is a semi liquid sweet where the milk is reduced and allowed to thicken once the other main ingredient has been  added to it. These could be boiled rice, roasted semolina, sliced almonds, sago , boiled sweet potato etc. It is included in some form in every offering to deities on festivals and auspicious occasions such as marriage rituals etc. 

·         1 cup vermicelli ( plain non roasted)

·         2 tblsp butter

·         2 cups whole cream milk

·         ½ unsweetened condensed milk

·         ½ cup sugar

·         a few drops of vanilla essence

·         1 table spoons raisins

·         2 table spoons sliced almonds

In a heavy bottomed pan melt the butter. Roast the semolina on a low flame till golden brown.Heat the milk , slowly add it to the vermicelli. Stir the vermicelli till they cook and the  mixture starts thickening . Add in the sugar and condensed milk. cook the mixture till the sugar has melted. Add the raisins, Reserve some sliced almonds for garnishing. Add in the rest of the almonds. Turn out into a serving dish. Cover and refrigerate till ready to serve. Can be served cold or warm. Garnish with sliced nuts.

Pumpkin Croquettes - Kabocha Korokke

Trust the Japanese to turn a simple vegetable into a party delight. This croquette is light, simple to cook, and absolutely delicious. Introduce your kids to the pumpkin dressed as a korokke and they will be hooked for life. 

·        3 cups of peeled and diced pumpkin
·        6 cloves garlic
·        1 onions chopped fine
·        1 tblsp olive oil
·        1 tsp salt
·        ½ tsp garlic
·        ½ tsp grated ginger
·        1 tblsp dark soy sauce
·        1 egg beaten ( if vegetarian make a thin paste with 2 tablespoons cornstarch)
·        4 tblsp cornstarch
·        1 cup of breadcrumbs  or panko crumbs
·        Oil for frying

 Heat a non stick pan and put in the olive oil. Saute the onions till golden brown, remove from heat and keep aside. In the same pan add in the diced pumpkin and , ginger and garlic. Cover and cook the pumpkin on low heat till they are soft and squishy. Using a ladle, mash the pumpkin well. Add in the soy sauce, salt, onions. Cook till the mixture dries and forms a lump.

Turn out the  mixture in a plate and spread out to cool. Once cool, divide into 8 portions. Roll them into little balls, flatten and form into uniform cutlets. 

Roll them in cornstarch and keep aside . Heat the oil in a deep skillet. . 

Dip the croquettes in the egg wash ( or the thin cornstarch paste)  ,

then roll into the breadcrumbs.

 Shake off any excess crumbs and lower into the hot oil. Once the underside looks brown, carefully turn over and fry till golden brown.

Serve with Mayonnaise or ketchup.

Sarson Ka Saag - to add recipe

A mnemonic for Punjabi food world over is the Sarson Da Saag and Makkki Di Roti. You merely mention the saag and roti to Punjabis anywhere in the world and their eyes will glaze over . Visions of yellow mustard fields, sounds of dhols and loud joyful singing are part of the hallucinations accompanied by the mention of Sarson Da Saag and Makki Di Roti. Add to it fresh homemeade butter and crumbly dry molasses and you are in food heaven. Punjabi food heaven . Here is a ticket to that very happy place

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch spinach washed and finely chopped (approx 250 gms)
• 1 bunch mustard greens washed and finely chopped (approx 250 gms)
• 1 green chillie
• 1 tbsp chopped ginger (or paste)
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic (or paste)
• Salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsps ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tbsp maize flour

Mix the greens, green chillies and salt to taste and boil in 1 cup of water till cooked.
Mash the greens mix well to make a course paste. Add the maize flour , mix well and add another cup of water. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Using a handheld blender , whisk the greens and flour mixture well.
In another pan, heat the ghee on a medium flame. When hot add the chilli, ginger and onion and fry till pale golden.Add the garlic .
Add all the other ingredients and fry till oil separates from the masala
Add the greens mix to this and stir till blended.

Serve with hot Makki di Roti , crumbled dry gud ( molasses) and generous helpings of white unsalted butter. Standby for the Oohs, aahs and balle balles.

 

Mango Halwa

Many a times just a little tweaking can transform a local staple into a universal delight. Here I have taken the much loved sooji halwa ( sweet sheera ) and used fresh mango pulp to turn this into a dessert most westerners go into raptures over. The trick is to not add too much sugar and allow the sweetness of the mango and the flavours of keasr ( saffron) , elaichi ( cardamom) and ofcourse the seductive fragrance of the mango to take over. 

Serves 4

v  ¾  cup semolina

v  1 cup boiling water

v  ½ cup mango pulp (sweet)

v  2 tblsp butter

v  2 green cardamoms crushed

v  8-10 strands saffron

v  Nuts and saffron for garnishing

In a heavy bottomed pan heat melt butter. Add in the semolina and roast on a slow flame till the semolina turns a pinkish shade.Crush the cardamom pods and discard the skins. In a large spoon, place the saffron strands and place the spoon over a very low flame till the spoon is well heated. Carefully move the saffron around till it feels a little hard. Take away from the heat and crush along with the cardamom. Add the boiling water to the semolina, add the crushed cardamom and saffron. As the semolina absorbs the water, add the mango pulp , cover and cook for 5 minutes on a very low flame.

When serving , warm the Mango Halwa , using an ice cream scoop serve the halwa in a small bowl, top with chopped nuts and saffron. Serve with fresh cream on the side. 

Roti Laddoo

What starts off a stale roti, end up as a nutritious delicious laddoo , which fly off the plate before you set them down. Its as easy to make as it is tasty to eat.

Here i have 4 small stale rotis. Stale rotis are dry and easily crumble. Just tear the rotis into small chunks and run it through a chopper or food processor. Just a couple of turns. What you get is crumbs like these.

To these crumbs add 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of soft ghee. You can add jaggery instead of powdered sugar. Just grate the jaggery and rub it into the roti crumbs before adding the ghee. Add a pinch of cardamom powder and a few sliced nuts. lift a fistful and pressing hard shape into small lemon sized balls.

Leftover arent left any more. Magic !!

Tofu Satay

An extremely popular starter common to Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian cuisines. However its origins are traced to Indonesian food culture. A quick , easy and exotic starter and very fast moAving with drinks. Equally popular with kids, youngsters and adults, this skewered  dish tastes just as delicious  Paneer and Tofu are delicious options.

400 gms extra firm tofu sliced into 1/4th inch thick x 2 inch rectangular strips. pat dry and marinate for an hour., cut into strips or thin cubes.

 1st marinade : 

 salt, pepper , 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp cornflour. mix well and keep for abt 10 mins.

peanut sauce :

1 small onion, 6 cloves garlic, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 inch piece of ginger, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp chopped green coriander, , 2 tbsp sweet mango chutney , 1 cup peanuts or 1/2 cup peanut butter. if the mango chutney or achaar is not sour enough , mix in the juice of one lemon. the taste has to be crunchy sweet and a little sour. if you like more spice add in a green chilli while grinding. 

this is basically the peanut dipping sauce. just mix all ingredients except the peanuts and blend to a paste, add in the peanuts and blend till the peanuts are coarsely crushed.  use 1 tbsp of this as a marinade and add to the tofu. 

soak the wooden skewers or toothpicks in water for about half an hour. thread in the marinated tofu and keep aside till required.. just line up on a hot gridle, or grilling surface. turn every 2 mins till all sides are well roasted. serve hot with the peanut dipping sauce separately or spooned over the satay. 

Soupy Noodles

Ever wondered what to cook when you are not particularly hungry , dont have much choice, have to meats or even vegetables and cant be bothered to go out and shop for some? Here is how a pack of instant noodles can work for you.

1 pack of instant noodles. Any vegetable scraps, 1 tablespoon of instant soup powder ( mushroom, vegetable, chicken, asparagus, oriental veg, sweet corn soup) , 1 stock cube, 1 tablespoon ketchup or worcestershire sauce . ( Here i have used leftover noodles half a pack of egg noodles and half plain)

Boil water according to the instant noodles packet instructions, add an extra half measure of water to it first. Add in the stock cube , sauces and vegetables. Mix the soup powder in 2 tblsp water. Add to the boiling water. Break the noodles and add. Switch off the heat when the noodles are just about done. Cover and keep for 2 mins. Serve garnished with grated cheese or a fried egg, boiled chicken or anything handy really.

Battered Fish

Many a happy lunchtimes have been spent chatting over batter fried fish and a large green salad. Its a great dish when you feel like a special meal. Its so easy to make . Just make sure you are all ready when its time to dip the fish in and you can sure to get a yummy flaky crisp covering on the delicately cooked fish. During my Newcastle stay , we often ate a leisurely lunch with ready to make soups and fried fish. You get cheaper white fish at supermarkets and this is how special meal can be economical .

oil for frying , 1 1/2 cup plain flour, 3tsp baking powder , 500ml chilled soda / beer , 4 fillets of firm white fish


Heat the oil in a deep fryer .
Whisk the baking powder into the chilled flour, along with ½ tsp salt, and then quickly whisk in the cold soda until you have a thick paste. This needs to be done just before you cook the fish.

Quickly Dip your fish into the batter and then carefully lower it into the hot oil, and agitate the frying basket to prevent the fish sticking to it. This will also give the batter a more interesting texture. Do this one or two pieces at a time: don't overcrowd the fryer.

Cook the fish for about 4–6 minutes, depending on size, keeping a watchful eye on it; it should be crisp and golden. Lift out of the oil and drain on kitchen paper then serve immediately.

Best eaten with overcooked mushy peas seasoned with just salt and pepper and with mayonnaise, just the way the British do.

Chicken Satay

We are always on the look out for exotic, easy to make and non fried party snacks. Anything that is on skewers seems to be difficult to make and needs to be tended to. Not the satay. Its easy to assemble, needs no special equipment. Can be just as easily cooked on a girdle as it can on a barbeque . Its juicy, yummy and flies off the plate really fast. i have had guests , monopolizing the satay plate . The peanut dipping sauce is as yummy on its own as it is with the satay. It can be used as a dip with julienned vegetables as well. I make the peanut sauce in larger quantities , so its just a matter of marinating some chicken and putting it on skewers the next time we feel like having satay. 

4 chicken breast boneless, cut into strips or thin cubes.

1st marinade :
 salt, pepper , 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp cornflour. mix well with the chicken and keep for abt 10 mins.

peanut sauce :
1 small onion, 6 cloves garlic, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 inch piece of ginger, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp chopped green coriander, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp sweet mango chutney ( if not available use 1 tbsp mango murabba or 2 tbsp oil free sweet mango achaar), 1 cup peanuts or 1/2 cup peanut butter. if the mango chutney or achaar is not sour enough , mix in the juice of one lemon. the taste has to be crunchy sweet and a little sour. if you like more spice add in a green chilli while grinding.

this is basically the peanut dipping sauce. just mix all ingredients except the peanuts and blend to a paste, add in the peanuts and blend till the peanuts are coarsely crushed.  use 1 tbsp of this as a marinade for the chicken.

soak the wooden skewers or toothpicks in water for about half an hour. thread in the marinated chicken and keep aside till required. this chicken will cook in 7 to 10 mins flat. just line up on a hot gridle, or grilling surface. turn every 2 mins till all sides are well roasted. serve hot with the peanut dipping sauce separately or spooned over the chicken.