Thai Red Curry

After not so long break, trying to finish my Thai series, this is the recipe for Thai Red Curry.

Red Curry is more popular. A bit more spicy and maybe because red is more appealing to the eyes.. Haha.. 

I am putting up this recipe because, red curry paste by itself can be preserved and used for different courses- soups, starters, curry, and even rice! So this is just another addition and a guideline  to make your favorite Thai Red Curry.

Again, the choice of vegetables is entirely up to your preferences. Ideally, a mix of at least 5 different vegetables should be good. This will give it texture and taste.  

Also, this curry is healthy and nutritious. Its low cal and flavoursome. For health conscious eaters, this can be taken with brown rice as well. 

So here it is then:

Serves: 4 Preparation Time: 15 mins Cooking Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

3 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste
1 ½ cup mix vegetables, sliced diagonally, raw (baby corn, carrots, zucchini, brinjal, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, mushrooms)
3 tbsp tofu or cottage cheese/paneer, sauteed
1 ½ cup coconut milk (200ml appx.)
2 cups water
1 tbsp oil
Salt as per taste

Method:

1.  In a wok, heat the oil. Once hot, add the curry paste and sauté it till the water dries out and it starts oozing out oil. 

2. Now add the vegetables and let it cook for about 2-3 mins on a medium flame. 

3. Add the coconut milk. Mix. Then add water. Add salt and let it all cook until the vegetables are tender but not mashy.  

4. You can now add the tofu or paneer pieces. If you feel the curry is too thin, you may add 2-3 tbsp cornflour slurry to thicken.

5. Garnish with some fresh basil leaves and serve hot. It goes well with steamed rice or Thai Fried Rice.

Notes & Tips:

1. To make cornflour slurry, mix 1 tbsp cornflour with 2 tbsp cold water stirring to avoid all lumps. Use the smooth mixture as required.

2. The tofu or paneer/cottage cheese should be sauteed in about 1 tbsp oil to avoid breaking or crumbling later.

3. My Jain friends can make the jain paste and proceed with your choice of vegetables. For Jains, a firm cabbage leaf, broccoli, cauliflower stalks are good options too.

Do try it and let me know how it turned out! Leave your experiences or queries in the comments section!

Pad Thai

Pad Thai.. literally translates to stir fried rice noodles. So the Thai have their own stir-fried noodles too..! The Thai curry is so famous that noodles haven't been given much importance. Its a very popular street food in Thailand, especially, Bangkok. 

Traditionally, Pad Thai mainly consists of peanuts, beansprouts, garlic, tamarind, chicken/shrimp/cooked eggs.  So I did a lot of browsing on this as well. I came up with my own version of these noodles. While doing so, I also came across noodles in peanut sauce. I am going to try that next! Very simple. Folks with peanut butter handy, just spice it with red chilli, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and toss it with the noodles! 

Coming back to Pad Thai, this is fairly simple and stir-fried.

I made this as one of the mains for my Thai evening. You can use rice flat noodles or the rice vermicelli.

Its not gravy laden but not dry either. When I visited Thailand, I saw street vendors selling pad thai in cane baskets and carts. They serve it with optional condiments like chilli flakes, burnt garlic and choice of dried shrimps, prawns and omelette. They customize each, pad thai for you and sell. I noticed the street vendors use the fine rice vermicelli, whereas in restaurants, the flat variety is used. I have used both and I prefer flat. I have made a basic pad thai. You can mix in other vegetables to make it more nutritious. 

Serves: 4 Preparation Time: 15 mins Cooking Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

200gms raw Rice Noodles, (Flat or Vermicelli or both; 2 cups boiled)
1 cup bean sprouts,
½ cup roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
½ cup spring onion whites, finely chopped (scallions)
½ cup spring onion greens, chopped
1 cup tri-colored bell peppers, julienned
¼ cup tofu, diced & fried

3 tbsp coriander, washed & chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp garlic, crushed
1 tbsp sesame seeds
3 tbsp sesame oil (if available or use peanut oil)

2 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)
1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp chilli flakes, crushed

3 tbsp spinach, ribboned or chopped (optional)

1 tbsp bird's eye chilli, thinly sliced (optional)

1 tsp white pepper powder

salt as per taste

For Garnish:
2 tbsp scallion greens,
2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
1 tbsp coriander, washed & chopped

Method:

1. Follow the instructions on the packet and keep the noodles ready. Usually, boil enough water with salt, then put it off heat and add the noodles and let it sit covered for 10 mins. Drain and add a tsp of oil so that they don't stick.

2. Meanwhile, in a wok, heat some sesame oil, add sesame seeds and let it crackle. 

3. Now, saute the scallion whites, bird's eye chilli and crushed garlic. 

4. Mix in the bell peppers and a tsp of salt and cook for about 30 seconds on high flame. 

5. Now add the spinach, scallion greens and bean sprouts and toss it well. Cook for another 20 seconds. 

6. Add in the soya sauce, lemon juice, salt, pepper and sugar and toss it well and cook for another 20 seconds. 

7. Mix in the noodles, crushed peanuts, coriander and tofu. Toss it gently and get it off heat. 

8. Transfer it to the serving bowl. Garnish by sprinkling coriander, crushed peanuts and scallion greens. 

Its ready to eat! Have it hot or warm! Enjoy this tangy-sweet-spicy noodles!

Notes & Tips:

1. If it feels too dry, you can add more soya sauce. But remember soya sauce is salty and the noodles are cooked in salted water so add salt accordingly.

2. Alternatively, to make it more exotic you can add boiled broccoli, carrot julienne,  bok-choy (chinese cabbage), mushrooms, asparagus etc to it. Whatever you wish to add, do not skip the peanuts, tofu and bean sprouts.

3. For Jains:

Skip the onions and garlic. Saute 2 tbsp of ginger instead and follow the remaining as it is. You may add shredded green cabbage.

Do try this and let me know whether you liked it or not! 

Corn Cheese Balls

This is one recipe that has never disappointed me! I haven't found anyone who dislikes it!

Corn Cheese balls was my non-thai starter which was well appreciated by everyone!

Its not a diet food but food to indulge! I have made it so many times and it has been appreciated across all age groups! And this could be served as snacks, or the sides to drinks or just like that as well!

Its a lovely creamy mixture of potatoes, corn and cheese. The essence lies in chopping the cheese finely so when it is deep fried it melts and when you bite it in.. its delectable! Corn is one ingredient I love blindly..so this is one of my personal favorite too!! It may get a little time consuming but it is well worth it!

Irrespective of the occasion, just make it! Even if you are a novice! Your guests will love it!

This recipe is original and actually close to my heart as I have had so many friends and family members coming back to me just for this! And I am going to share it with you now. Please remember to write your experiences or queries in the comments section!

So there we go:

Serves: 4. Preparation Time: 15-20 mins Cooking Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:
For the Corn Cheese ball mixture:
1 cup corn kernels, boiled,
3 large potatoes, boiled & mashed (2 cups mashed)
½ cup green capsicum, finely chopped (green bell pepper)
3 tbsp green chillies, thinly sliced (2, as per desired hotness)
3 tbsp coriander/cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp white sauce,
½ cup cheese, finely chopped (3-4 cubes, more if desired)
Salt & Pepper as per taste

For Batter:
½ cup Plain Flour, sifted (maida)
3-4 tbsp water
salt, pepper as per taste
1 tsp oregano (optional)
few drops of Tabasco and/or Worcestershire sauce (optional)

1 cup approx. bread crumbs for coating

Oil as required for deep frying

Ketchup for serving

Method:

1. Get all the ingredients ready. Mix in all the ingredients under 'For the Corn Cheese ball mixture' except cheese.

2. Mix it all well. Check for taste and season it accordingly. 

3. Now, gently fold in the finely chopped cheese cubes into the mixture.

4. Divide this mixture into 2"(diameter)sized balls equally. Keep aside or refrigerate while you prepare the dipping batter.

5. In a mixing bowl, add maida and all other dry ingredients - salt, pepper, oregano, chilli flakes etc.

6. Mix it well and add water. With a fork or a whisk mix it till it gets to a smooth and thick consistency. We need it to coat the balls, so if it is too thick add water, if too thin add flour. Add in the Tabasco/Worcestershire sauces if using and mix well.

7. In another bowl, keep the bread crumbs ready. 

8. Now dip each ball into the flour batter with a spoon making sure all of it is coated and then quickly drop it in the bowl of bread crumbs. Toss & roll to cover it entirely with bread crumbs. 

9. Repeat this with all the balls. 

10. You can heat your oil meanwhile. Once the oil is hot, start frying in batches on a medium flame until golden brown! drain excess oil on paper towel.

And its ready to serve. Serve it with ketchup, chilli sauce, salsa dip.. as you please! 

Enjoy!!

Notes & Tips:

1. You can semi crush the corn if you don't like it whole. If doing so, reduce the quantity of potatoes to 1½ cup mashed. 

2. The idea behind adding white sauce is to make it creamier. Make sure the dough doesn't get too loose while adding it. Also, if its stiff, you can add in another tablespoon. 

If the dough gets loose, add in more potatoes or bread crumbs. This could happen as depending in the type of potatoes used!

3. You could make this balls with the coating ready before hand and leave just the frying bit when your guests come. Alternatively, after coating it, you can freeze it for up to 10 days. Just make sure you are get it out at least an hour before serving so it comes to room temperature while you fry!

4. I used Amul's cheddar cheese. Mozarella doesn't taste so good. I don't like it stringy and prefer melted bursts of cheese.

5. For Jains: You can substitute the potatoes for boiled plantain/raw banana. Since I haven't tried it, I am unsure of the quantity! 

Remember to leave your experiences in the comments section!! 

Thai Chilli Cakes

Thai Starters.. They don't  have that! Its soup usually that they begin with! So I had to look for something that's Thai and could be made into starters. So began the internet surfing for this. Spring Rolls is overdone. I wanted something new. And then, I came across Thai Chilli Cakes by Sanjeev Kapoor. Something innovative, easy and healthy too! I knew I had to try this.

Its a mixture of bengal gram (chana dal), chickpeas (kabuli chana / choley) and to give it the thai touch, the Thai Red Curry Paste. Its really simple. Its such a change from using potatoes is most of the tikki type starters that this recipe is a must try. Plus its shallow fried!

This recipe is adapted from here. I have followed it almost entirely with just a few optional changes. Its a protein rich recipe and can be made even otherwise as a snack or a tikki to make kathi rolls, wraps, burgers, or sandwich!! Great for kids and a healthy option for dieters.

So here it goes:

Serves: 6 Preparation Time: 15 mins Cooking Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

To be soaked overnight, boiled with salt and drained:
1 cup Chickpeas (kabuli chana / choley)
½ cup Bengal Gram (chana dal) 

Other Ingredients:
3 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste
8-10 coriander stalks, cleaned and roughly cut
1 cup onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt as per taste
Oil for shallow frying, as required

Dipping Sauce:
Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
Ketchup

Method:

1. In a mixer/ food processor/ grinder, take the coriander stalks and crush them into a paste. If required, add some bengal gram to it so it gets crushed well.

2. Once the stalks are crushed, add the chickpeas and balance bengal gram and crush.

Do not use any water to while crushing.

3. It should now resemble a largely smooth & moist dough. Add in the onions, coriander leaves, salt, curry paste, lemon juice and salt. Mix well.

4. Roll them out into even sized flattened balls/tikkis.

5. In a pan, put 3-4 tbsp of oil or as required. Let it heat and then place all the tikkis and shallow fry them on each side.

And its ready! Serve hot with the thai chilli sauce or ketchup!

Its that simple! Enjoy!

Notes & Tips:

1. Unlike the original recipe, I boiled and used the bengal gram, perhaps that gave a slightly loose texture to my mixture. I used about 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs. My mom felt it was loose but I felt it was alright! It cooked and tasted just the same without the bread crumbs. So you can go with your preference.

2. The quantity of curry paste will depend on the potency of it.

3. You can also crush some kaffir lime leaves with the coriander stalk to make it more thai.

4. If you are using it as a tikki, you can add some mint/phudina leaves instead of kaffir lime leaves. Serve it with coriander chutney. Alternatively, if using it in a wrap or a roll or for burgers, just get creative and use it!

5. For Jains:

Just omit the onions. And the rest is same.

A very simple protein rich jain option!

If you try it, do leave your experiences in the comment section! And ofcourse, for any queries too!

Enjoy!

Tom Kha Soup

Its been a few months having posted. I started working full time which has kept me too busy with no time for cooking or blogging!

So recently, I got the opportunity to cook for a family dinner. They wanted to try the Thai food I make.

I was dying to cook something and this was for a group of 15 people so I was all geared up for this and somehow managed to cook it all despite a busy work schedule.

The menu in Thai was Tom Kha soup, Thai chilli cakes, Corn Cheese Balls (not Thai), Pad Thai Noodles, Thai Red Curry, Fragrant Rice. I also tried to make a panna cotta using china grass which turned out to be a dud because it just refused to set! Though the spiced peach sauce I made along was a hit!

Too much of Tom-yum and honestly its just a thai version of clear soup. So this time, the experimental bug in me wanted to try cooking something new. I have been to Thailand and while I was in bangkok, a dear local friend took me to a Thai vegetarian restaurant and made me taste a vegetarian Tom -Kha, the taste of which still lingers at the name! So I thought let me try this. Its predominant flavour is lemon grass & ginger with mild flavour of coconut milk. The lemony tangy bit will be appreciated on Indian palate!

And with the monsoon setting in, this soup will warm you up and keep the colds and flues at bay!

I went through a lot of recipes, mostly non-veg and finally came up with my own version of this recipe.

Traditionally, its made with chicken, shrimps or other thai seafood. Tom-kha mean chicken galangal. I was skeptical about the pieces of galangal being appreciated in the soup so instead I crushed them in the red curry paste. I tried to make it more textural and flavoursome in the vegetarian version.

I had to make it keeping the diet restrictions of my guests in mind. But my recipe will give you the authentic version of making it. You can then move around with your diet restrictions.

This is low calorie and low fat soup!! So all you guys on a diet can try too!!

So here we go:

Unfortunately, I couldn't take pictures as I was too busy cooking and then serving! I'll update it when I make it again!

Serves: 4 Preparation Time: 15 mins Cooking Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste
1 cup of vegetables, diced (onions, green cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, babycorn)
2-3 tbsp of mushrooms, sliced (button, oyster, porcini, enoki)
½" galangal, sliced (optional)
½" ginger sliced
1 small tomato, diced
1 stalk lemon grass, diagonally sliced (optional)
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ cup coconut milk
¾ cup lemon grass extract*
2 cups vegetable stock or water
Salt as per taste
1 tbsp oil (optional)

 To be tied into a bouquet garni:
5-7 coriander stalks
4-5 basil leaves
2 lemon grass stalks
1 kaffir lime leaf (optional)

For Garnish:
3 tbsp of coriander, washed and chopped

Method (if using oil):

1. Heat oil, fry the Thai red curry paste till oil starts oozing from the sides. Then add all the veggies, mushroom, ginger, galangal and tomatoes. Sauté in the paste till all the vegetables are coated with it. This will take about 1 min of continuous sauteing.

2. Now add the coconut milk. Mix well.

3. Then, add the lemon grass extract and the vegetable stock. Add lemon grass stalks and salt as per taste.

4. Once this mixture is hot enough drop in the bouquet garni.

5. Let all the vegetables cook in this flavoured stock till tender and boil for 5 mins. Cover and cook.

6. Squeeze in some lemon juice and put it off heat.

7. Garnish with coriander. Serve hot.

Method ( without oil):

1. Heat the vegetable stock or water. bring it to a boil.

2. Add in the curry paste, coconut milk, lemon grass extract.Mix well.

3. Add in all the vegetables, ginger, galangal, mushrooms, tomatoes and lemon grass stalks. Season with salt and let it cook. Drop in the bouquet garni as well. Cover and cook.

4. It should be done in 10 mins, squeeze in the lemon juice and bring to a boil and its ready to serve!

Notes & Tips:

1. The curry paste is spicy so no other spices required. If you want it more spicy, add in another teaspoon of the paste and mix well.

2. My guests included kids, who were fussy about vegetables in soup. So after the soup was ready, I scooped out a handful of vegetables and blitzed the rest. I was very worried it will change the taste. But hey! it did not!! And it made it thicker... obviously!

But I would not recommend blitzing it as that's not how the soup is served!

3. You may add 2tsp of cornflour slurry while boiling if you want it thick.

4. The choice of vegetables & mushrooms is entirely upto your preference.I'd suggest cooking the veggies until almost done as residual heat will cook it further. Also, because overcooking is very common while making soups destroying the nutritional value!

5. If you can't decide, go with this mix:

Veggies: Babycorn, onions, tomatoes, lemongrass, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, ginger

Mushrooms: Oyster, Button (either or both)

6. For Jains:

Its really simple, just omit the onions. No difference to taste. Proceed as it is. It tastes delicious without mushrooms also!

Let me know how it turned out! Please leave your experiences in the comments section. If you have any suggestions, ideas or made any changes to this recipe, I'd love to know!

Let it rain while you enjoy this delightful soup with your loved ones!

Vietnamese Curry & Basil Rice

I think I have a soft corner for South-East Asian (especially Chinese) and Italian food. My first experience with Vietnamese food was when my Vietnamese classmates made vegetarian Nems (Rice-paper Spring Rolls) amongst a few other things.Then, fried Nems at one of the house parties hosted by mom. And then, recently when my cousin who also likes cooking was talking about Vietnamese curry.. which really caught me and I started searching for it.

Obviously, most of the recipes I found were with meat or seafood. And tofu. I am not a great fan of tofu except for silken tofu in Japanese Miso Soup!

After several days of browsing, I finally made my version of this curry earlier this week.

Vietnamese Cuisine in many ways is similar to Thai. Though I feel Thai Cuisine is robust in terms of flavours and foods, whereas Vietnamese Cuisine is an emulation & adaptation of its neighbouring regions. Like Thailand, they use a lot of sea-food too. They are known for the dog meat delicacy that is served in festivals! And, of course their coffee. Decent I'd say!

Honestly, this curry is quite similar to the Yellow Thai Curry because it uses coconut milk as one of the main flavours. But, the vegetables and preparation I'd say is a lot less fussier than Thai Curry unless you stock curry paste. Besides this is a very good option for low fat meal because it is entirely optional to use oil!

Yes.. It tastes the same without oil!!

I served it with simple basil rice. Basil was subtle yet fragrant. I had it handy so I used it. It can be served plain.

You can use whatever vegetables suit your palate..! After all, what's the point in cooking up something if it doesn't have foods you like to eat!

So here it is:

Serves: 2 - 3. Preparation Time: 10 mins. Cooking Time: 15 - 20 mins.

Ingredients

For Vietnamese Curry:
½ cup red onion, diced (1 medium sized)
¼ cup tomato, diced (1 small)
½ cup carrots, sliced (1 small)
1 cup button mushrooms, quartered (6-7 mushrooms)
1 cup potatoes, diced (2 medium sized)
1 cup coloured belled peppers, diced (red, green, yellow)
1 heaping tbsp chopped ginger
1 heaping tbsp chopped garlic
1 cup coconut milk
2 - 3 cups water
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp curry powder
1 bay leaf
1 tsp turmeric/haldi powder
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tsp sugar (optional)
½ cup lemon grass extract*
1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
salt as per taste

For Basil Rice:
1 cup rice (I used regular basmati, it goes well with other starchy rice, brown rice, thai rice)
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
3-4 basil leaves

Method:

For Curry:

1. Heat oil in a deep pot. Add bay leaf, onions, ginger & garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds.

2. Add mushrooms, capsicums and sauté for a minute.

3. Then add, tomatoes, potatoes & carrots. Add salt, 2 cups water, ¾ of coconut milk and lemon grass extract. (I also used lemon grass paste as a bouquet garni)

If not using oil, just add everything under steps 1, 2, & 3 and simmer.

4. Add curry powder, sugar, turmeric, red chilli powder.

5. Let this all simmer on low flame until all the vegetables are cooked. It will take about 10-15 mins.

6. Check for taste. The curry will be slightly watery so mix the cornflour in balance ¼ cup coconut milk, and add to the curry. It will thicken.

7. Put it off heat. Serve.  Yes its that simple!

Garnish with spring onion greens, mint or whatever is handy..!

* Take 3-5 stalks of lemon grass and ½ cup water and blend them into as smooth a purée as possible.

Strain it using a fine sieve. All that remains in the sieve, tie it into a bouquet-garni and drop in the curry till cooked. Squeeze and remove it once the curry is ready.

For Basil Rice:

1. Thoroughly wash the rice.

2.  Boil 2 cups water with salt.

3. Now add basil and the rice and let it cook for 10-15 minutes.

Notes & Tips:

1. If you do not have store bought curry powder handy, just mix in 1 tbsp of coriander-cumin seed/dhania-jeera powder with 2 tbsp sambhar masala. I did the same.

2. You can add broccoli and tofu. They lend a different flavour to the mix. Whatever vegetables you choose, do not omit tomatoes & potatoes.

3. For Jains:

• If using oil, sauté bay leaf & ginger.
• Add vegetables (bottle gourd, tomatoes, carrots (if using), peas, beans, bellpeppers, babaycorn, cabbage, etc), water, cocnut milk, lemongrass extract and spices.
• Follow step 4 onwards.

Handi Dum Biryani

Handi is a clay vessel that has a thick wide base, narrow neck and a wider mouth. It is designed such that the steam retains maximum flavours. The american version of this, is a bean pot.

'Dum' is a slow cooking method where the clay vessel is soaked in water for several hours, which on heating releases steam and cooks the food. The heat which passes through clay gives out a distinct taste as against metal utensils. The handi/pot is traditionally sealed with a dough and cooked for a few hours on a low flame. 

Traditionally it is used for meats, hard lentils/pulses on a charcoal bed. As we rarely use charcoal now, it is done on the stove on a low flame.

Earthenware cooking is something that really interests me not only for its method but also for its taste.

A slow cooking method which imparts a an earthy sweet taste and texture to the food cooked.

I had been eyeing one such small clay-pot/ handi for a while now and my dear mother surprised me one evening. Since then, I have been waiting to use it for something. 

After a lot of pondering, I decided to make the obvious pick, dum biryani.

Since it was my first time I used the handi just for steaming and not for actual cooking. You may refer to my notes if you wish to try cooking in the pot itself.

However, it definitely tasted a lot better in the pot. My family eats mildly spicy food so you may make it spicier as per your taste. It pairs well with plain yoghurt or just by itself. I prefer the latter!

So here it is then:

Serves: 4 Preparation Time: 15 mins.  Cooking Time: 20 -30 mins

Ingredients:

For Fresh Biryani Masala:

1 big black cardamom / Badi elaichi

3-4 cardamom pearls

1 cinnamon stick

4-5 black peppercorns

3-4 cloves

1 tsp black cumin /shahi jeera (or regular jeera) 

1 whole kashmiri red chilli

a few bits of mace / javitri

Other Ingredients:

1 bay leaf / Tej patta

½ cinnamon stick

3-4 black peppercorns

2-3 cloves

1 small black cardamom

3 tbsp ghee/clarified butter

1 cup sliced onions ( 2 medium sized onions)

2 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tsp red chilli powder/lal mirch

1 ½ cup boiled vegetables with salt (carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, french beans, peas)

2 tbsp chopped capsicum

½ cup curd

a pinch of turmeric/haldi

1 tsp readymade biryani masala (optional)

1 tsp corriander-cumin seed powder/dhania jeera

salt as per taste

1 cup fried onions 

¼ cup milk mixed with a few sprigs of saffron

1 tbsp coriander leaves

1 tbsp mint leaves

For Rice (To be boiled together):

1 cup rice

few cloves

few peppercorns

some mint & coriander leaves

1 cinnamon stick

2½ cup water

Salt as per taste 

For Garnish:

1 tbsp of coriander, freshly chopped

Method:

1. Thoroughly wash the rice and cook with the spices until 90% done. You may tie the spices in a bundle so it is easier to remove later. 

2. Now take all the spices under 'For Fresh Biryani Masala' and dry roast them until they get fragrant. This will take about 2-3 mins. The moment it starts giving out the nice smell get it off heat and crush it well in a mortar pestle.  It should be nicely powdered. Alternatively, you may grind it in a mixer. Keep aside.

3. Now heat the ghee in a pan. Once hot, add all the whole spices (Bay leaf, Cinnamon, Peppercorns, Cloves, Black Cardamom). 

4. After 45 seconds add the sliced onions and sauté. It should turn pale pink in colour.

5. Mix in the ginger and garlic paste and sauté for another minute.

6. Now add the capsicum and let it all cook for about 3 mins. 

7. Add in the spice powders - fresh biryani masala, red chilli powder, turmeric, dhania-jeera. Mix well and let it cook for another 30 seconds.

8. Now add in the curd and mix well. Add salt. Let it cook till the ghee separates. (At this point, if using, add the readymade biryani masala)

9. Mix in the boiled vegetables and let it cook covered for a good 5 mins.

10. Get it off heat and keep aside. The rice should be ready by now. Drain them and keep aside. (Make sure to remove the whole spices from the boiled rice)

For Assembling:

1. Divide the vegetable mixture, the rice and the fried onions, all into 2 parts.

2. In the handi, place one portion of the vegetable mixture. Spread it evenly.

3. Now place one portion of the rice and spread it evenly. Now sprinkle half the saffron & milk mixture. Then sprinkle half the fried onions, coriander & mint leaves.

4. Place the remaining vegetables on this to form another layer. Then place the remaining rice & sprinkle the balance saffron & milk mixture, fried onions, coriander & mint leaves.

 

5. Now cover and let it cook for 10 mins on very low heat. Make sure the steam doesn't escape.

6. Put it off heat, sprinkle 1 tbsp coriander and serve with some plain humble yoghurt. 

Enjoy this yummy spicy handi dum vegetable biryani!

Notes & Tips:

1. Before cooking in any clay-pot, soak it in water overnight the first time. The subsequent times,  soak it for 30 mins. 

2. You can use 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes instead of curd. If so, cook the tomatoes for 10 mins until entirely soft and the fat separates.

3. If your clay-pot doesn't have a cover, you can cover it with a foil paper which is firmly closed. 

4. You may want to skip the fresh biryani masala for a readymade one. Although it maynot be as flavourful, its a good option when in hurry. If doing so, use 1½ tbsp of readymade biryani masala. However, you may adjust it as per desired hotness.

5. For the fried onions:

Take the thinly sliced onions and wrap them in kitchen towel or tissue paper and get all the excess moisture. 

They should be dry. Add about ½ tsp of cornflour and mix. 

Deep fry in hot oil over slow flame until brown. The key is to add a few at a time. 

Drain the excess oil on kitchen towel and use as required. 

2-3 medium sized onions will yield about 1 cup fried onions. 

6. Alternatively, you can cook the biryani in the pot/handi. There are 2 ways to go about this:

a) The easier option is to cook the vegetable mixture in the pot itself. Just replace the metal vessel with your clay pot. Once cooked, there will be just one layer of vegetables and rice. Everything else remains the same.

b) The other way being, marinate all the vegetables (raw or parboiled) in curd/yoghurt and fresh biryani masala for about an hour. Then, in the pot itself, follow steps 3,4 & 5. Add vegetables with about 1 ½ cup water and cook till vegetables are soft. Proceed with layering and steaming & serve.

7. To make the saffron milk mixture, use lukewarm milk to infuse the flavour of saffron better.

 

Strawberry Cheesecake

So it is my desserts phase.. And I experimented making a strawberry cheesecake.

In restaurants and cake shops, it looked & tasted so delicious! I always thought it would be so complicated to make..

I went through a number of recipes online and made my version of this cheesecake. 

It is very easy, yummy and everyone will love you for making it!

This cake hardly took a day to finish. My cousin loved it.. so did my neighbours.. My sister was kinda mad at me because at the end of the day only 2 pieces were left out of which I had one.. hehe.. I promised her to make an entire cake soon!

I have used a lot of ready-made ingredients in this. 

But I am planning to make it from scratch the next time I make it. Ill update this recipe accordingly.

Unlike normal cakes, where we demould by turning it upside down, Cheesecakes cannot be demoulded. For this recipe you need a springform cake tin (6"). I got mine from Arife, Mumbai. Its available accross all  Arife stores.  This will help you cut into pieces as seen outside. 

Alternatively, you can make this in ramekins, dessert glasses or bowls. Just that you cannot demould.

I don't think that is really a problem. In fact you could use this in parties or while hosting dinners. It looks elegant and serves the purpose of many servings too. 

Cutting may get messy!

So here it is then:

Preparation Time: 30 mins. Setting time: 4 hrs min. Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

220 gms cream cheese (1 packet 'Philadelphia' cream cheese)

100 ml whipped cream (unwhipped)

½ cup powdered/castor/icing sugar

1/3 cup (80 gms) salted butter, melted

1 cup digestive biscuits, coarsely crushed ( I used Marie biscuits)

3-5 tbsp of strawberry crush

1 tsp red food colour

For Garnish:

Fresh strawberries, sliced, as required

4 tbsp Strawberry Crush
½ cup water
1 tsp (5gm) agar - agar/ china grass/ vegetarian gelatin, powdered

Method:

1. Crush the biscuits coarsely and place them in your cake mould. Pour in the melted butter and mix it well with your fingers. Now, gently press it into an even layer. Place this in the deep freezer for about 30 mins.

2. In a separate bowl, whip the whipped cream as per packet instructions. Keep in the refrigerator.

3. In another bowl, take the cream cheese and whip it till it looks smooth. About 3-5 mins. 

4. Now add the strawberry crush and whip for about 30 seconds. 

5. Now mix in the sugar. Do not add all since the crush & whipped cream will have its own sugar. Whip for about 30 seconds to a minute. Check for sugar. Add and whip if required. 

6. Now add the colour and whip for about 15 seconds. It may seem a little dark, but we are yet to mix the whipped cream. 

7. Take the whipped cream and gently fold it into this mixture of cream cheese. DO NOT STIR OR WHIP. 

8. Get your mould out from the freezer and pour this mixture on top. Tap it slightly and even out the surface using a palate knife or any flat knife. 

9. Put it back into the freezer for another hour. 

10. After an hour, heat the ½ cup water and dissolve the powdered agar - agar. Stir it continuously while it is hot. Don't let the water cool. Once dissolved, it will resemble a hazy and little thick liquid. Get it off heat. In another bowl, get the desired amount of crush,  and pour this water and china grass mixture into it. Mix it well. Spread this mixture immediately on top of the cheesecake. Move around so it spreads evenly.

* This will ensure that the strawberry crush sets as against my first attempt and picture shown above.

11. Place it back in the refrigerator now for 2 hrs.

12. Now, demould it. Just before serving, garnish it with sliced strawberries.

Cut and enjoy! Remember to share! :)

Notes & Tips:

1. You may put it in the refrigerator instead of freezer. the total duration will increase to 6 hrs. 

2. The crush meant for garnishing, will drip eventually.

 So I made many more cheesecakes after this. And finally figured how to get the crush to set using china grass. I have updated the same above!

Incase, the water and china grass mixture sets before mixing the strawberry crush, do not worry. Heat it again and if required add little water. China grass melts when heated but cools quickly at room temperatures. So one needs to be quick. Yet avoid the possibility of reheating.

Also, ensure, your crush is at room temperature and not from the fridge.

3. This can be replicated for different fruits. So experiment and let me know! I tried with blueberry and fresh strawberries. It works equally good!

4. The butter has to be enough to mix well with the crushed biscuits. So you may reduce the quantity or use a low fat butter too! You will need minimum 4 tbsp of any butter for this recipe.

5.The next time I make it, I plan to make cream cheese at home. I will update it accordingly!

 

Vanilla Cupcakes

I made my first vanilla cupcakes.. Finally! And they turned out to be awesome! Really!

I adapted the recipe from here. I had attended Pooja Dhingra's workshop this year at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival and she shared some really useful techniques. I combined both and made this.

Since I was trying, I kept the quantity to the minimum.

This is a versatile recipe and can be used to make other flavours as well. I am certain this will be loved by kids as well as adults!

Makes: 8 - 10 Preparation Time: 10 mins. Cooking Time: 15 mins.

Ingredients:

¾ cup (100 gms) all purpose flour/maida

¼ cup (60 gms) butter (at room temperature)

¼ cup (60 ml) milk (room temperature or lukewarm)

1/3 cup (80 ml) unflavoured curd/yoghurt

½ cup (70 gms) powdered sugar

1 tsp baking powder

a pinch of baking soda

1 vanilla bean or ½ tsp vanilla essence.

For Chocolate Ganache:

60 gms dark chocolate

2-3 tbsp milk or fresh cream

Method:

1. Sift the flour along with baking powder and baking soda twice. Also sift the powdered sugar. Preheat the oven at 180ºC for 10-15 mins.

2. Mix the milk and curd in a separate bowl with a spoon or a fork ensuring there are no lumps. (Do not blend)

3. In a separate bowl, take the butter and sugar and whisk until creamy and fluffy. Do this for about 2-3 mins or until you feel its light.

4. Now you can slit the vanilla bean and scrape the extract and mix it into this mixture. Alternately, you may add the vanilla essence. Incorporate the flavour into this mixture by whisking for another 30 seconds. 

5. Now, add just 1/3 of the flour mixture to this butter-sugar mix. Whisk to ensure its mixed well. Then add 1/3 of the milk and curd mix. Whisk until the lumps disappear. Now add the flour, whisk, milk-curd, whisk, Repeat. 

6. The batter should be smooth and thick consistency. 

7. Now fill about ¾ of the cupcake mould with the batter prepared. 

 

8. Let it bake at 180ºC for 15 mins approx. 

9. Meanwhile for the chocolate ganache, cut the chocolate into small pieces or grate them in a small bowl. Heat the milk or cream to simmer and pour it on the chocolate. Let it sit for 2 mins and stir. This is our chocolate ganache. You can use a piping bag to make swirls etc or simply spread it. 

10. The cakes should be ready by now! :) Enjoy the yummy cupcakes!

Notes & Tips:

1. To check if the cake is done, you may insert a toothpick or knife in the centre and if it comes out clean its ready. If not, bake a little longer.

2. Baking time differs from oven to oven. My oven took exactly 15 mins! 

3. Alternately, you can make this as a cake too in a bigger mould.

4. Also, if you do not have an oven, you can make it in the pressure cooker without the whistle. Just put it on low heat for 40-45 mins. Open after the cooker has cooled.

5. You may add different flavours to this like nuts, chocolate chips, non-citrusy fruits, dried fruits etc. 

6. You can make a different icing of butter and sugar by whisking them. Add in the colour of your choice and pipe it onto your cake.

Spinach & Mushroom Cannelloni

I have never made a cannelloni. Its been on my to-do list for a while now.

So I made it this week and it was really delicious! I never knew it would turn out so good!!

The best part is it is healthy and colourful! A meal in itself.. If you like lasagne you will undoubtedly like this.

Cannelloni is simply a thick tubular pasta with a filling inside and sauces outside. Alternatively, lasagne rolled like thick cigars/rolls with filling inside is the same as the ready made tubular ones! This is baked just like lasagne! Lasagne follows layering, these are rolls, rest remains the same!

So lets start with it!

Serves: 2 Preparation Time: 20 mins Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

For the Creamy Cheese Sauce (1 cup):

1 heaped tbsp of butter

1 tbsp of maida/all purpose flour or sifted wheat flour

¾ cup milk

2-3 tbsp of fresh cream (store bought), I used Amul's

3 tbsp grated cheese, cheddar (preferably parmesan)

½ tsp ground nutmeg/jaiphal

salt & pepper as per taste

For the Rustic Tomato Sauce (1 cup):

2 tomatoes, blanched and puréed 

2 tbsp celery, finely chopped

3 tbsp carrots, finely chopped

2 tbsp garlic, finely chopped

3 tbsp onion, finely chopped

4-5 basil leaves, finely chopped

1 tbsp oregano

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper as per taste

For the Spinach & Mushroom Filling:

1 cup spinach leaves (¾ bunch or 150 gms), washed, blanched & shredded

1 cup button mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper as per taste  

For the Cannelloni:

4 Lasagne sheets, home-made or store bought
4 cups water

2 tbsp oil

salt as per taste

For Garnish:

2 tbsp Mozzarella cheese, grated

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Method:

For the Cannelloni:

1. Take the water in a sufficiently deep and wide vessel and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 tbsp oil and enough salt. Then add in 4 lasagne sheets.

2. Follow the cooking instructions on the packet, usually 8-10 mins. Once cooked, immediately drain it and apply the balance 1 tbsp oil and leave aside.

For the Creamy Cheese Sauce:

1. Heat the butter in a pan. Once melted, add the sifted flour and cook for 30 -45 secs.

2. Now add the milk to this mixture IN 3 PARTS to avoid lumps while stirring continuously.

3. Once the milk has uniformly integrated with the flour and butter and thick, you can now add the cream, cheese,  salt, pepper and nutmeg.

4. Let this cook for about a minute and leave it aside.

You may preheat the oven at 200°C for 15 mins now.


For the Spinach & Mushroom Filling:

1. Chop the veggies and keep aside.

 

2. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the garlic and sauté for 45 secs. Mix in the blanched spinach and mushrooms. Stir well.

3. Add salt and pepper and let it cook. Mushrooms will start giving out water. Cook it until almost all the water is gone.

4. Now add about 3 tbsp of our creamy cheese sauce to this mixture and mix well.

5. Get it off heat and keep aside.

For the Rustic Tomato Sauce:

1. Chop the veggies and keep them ready.

2. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Once hot, add the garlic and onions. Sauté for 45 secs.

3. Now add in the carrots and celery. Let it cook for about 2 mins until soft.

4. Now add in the basil and tomato purée.Let it cook for 3 mins. Then proceed to adding oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for more 2 mins.

5. The colour of the sauce would have changed by now. Get it off heat and keep aside.

Assembling the Cannelloni:

Remember to preheat the oven at 200°C for 15 mins before you assemble.

1. Now in a baking dish, place a few basil leaves randomly (optional). Then spread a generous layer of the rustic tomato sauce.

2. Divide the filling into 4 equal portions. In a separate plate or a flat surface, place one lasagne sheet and place one portion of the filling at either end of the sheet. Carefully roll and place it on the sauce in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining 3 lasagne sheets.

3. Once all have been placed, spread the remaining creamy cheese sauce covering the cannelloni. Sprinkle some grated mozzarella cheese and bake for 10 -12 mins at 180°C.

4. Once ready just sprinkle some chopped parsley and serve.

Enjoy!!

Notes & Tips:

1. For Jains:

• The creamy cheese sauce remains as it is.
• In the rustic tomato sauce, you may omit the onions and garlic. Celery and carrots too. Instead just add 1-2 bay leaf, tomato purée  basil (7-8) and 1 tbsp mix herbs (oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary etc.) Let it boil for 3-5 mins and keep aside.
• For the Spinach filling, instead of garlic add ½ tsp finely chopped ginger. You may substitute mushrooms for ¾ cup boiled corn kernels.
• Proceed as it is!

2. Alternatively, spinach can be combined with cottage cheese or corn.

3. I boiled the lasagne in the same water that I used for blanching the spinach! 

4. The creamy cheese sauce is similar to our regular white sauce. We just add in the cheese and fresh cream to make it richer!

Leave your experiences in the comments section! I'd love to know how did you like it!