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!