Last 5 posts

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Tea Off : Drop, stir, enjoy!

I love tea, whether it is Black Lemon Tea, Ginger-Cardamom Milk Tea. Tea is a terrific kick-start to any lousy day...

Black Lemon Tea :
1 TajMahal Lemon Tea Bag
Water
Sugar to taste
Microwave safe tea cup

Heat water in a cup for a minute or a minute + 30 seconds
Add sugar, and drop teabag.
Let it rest for 1 more minute, stir and enjoy!


Ginger Cardmon Milk Tea :
1 TajMahal Ginger Tea Bag
1 Tajmahal Cardamom Tea Bag
1/2 cup Milk + 1/2 cup water
Sugar to taste
Microwave safe tea cup

Heat Milk + water in a cup for a minute or a minute + 30 seconds
Add sugar, and drop teabag.
Let it rest for 1 more minute, stir and enjoy!


:D

Monday, October 25, 2010

Double Whammy Eggroll

Now that Festive season is approaching, my next posts are going to full of festive Indian sweets and savoury snacks, all waiting to be gorged upon. But this one is not one of those festive mood ones. It's no simple egg-roll, it is heavy, rich, laden with all those heart-beat stopping indulgences, that everyone should enjoy, once in a while... So, you might say, just a sneak-peek to what's coming...

For Flour Tortilla :
4 parts Refined Wheat Flour (Maida)
3 parts Wheat Flour (Atta)
1 part Gram Flour
Salt to taste
Red Chilly Powder
Mix all dry ingredients, and knead with cold water to make a soft pliable dough. Let it stand for 1/2 hour.

For Omelette :
2 Eggs
Green Chillies, finely chopped
Fresh Coriander, chopped
Salt to taste

For Filling :
4 Garlic-Onion Cocktail Sausages OR 2 Breakfast Sausages
Onions or Green Onions, finely sliced
Mayonnaise
Tomato-Chilly Sauce
Cheese Slice, very very optional

Make the filling first, so then assembling the egg-roll is quick and easy.

Slice the sausages, lengthwise, and cook them in a pan/skillet using little butter. Turn them over once a side is little brown and cooked.

Divide the chopped Onions in 2 parts; To 1 part, add Mayonnaise and mix well. To the 2nd, add Tomato-Chilly sauce. You can use any chilly sauce to balance the Mayonnaise.

Flour Tortilla :
Make a flat ball of dough, around 2" in diameter.

Using a rolling pin, roll out a thin tortilla, 8" in diameter.

Heat a pan or skillet, up to smoking and then turn down the heat... Then put the rolled out dough, to cook it one side for 4-5 minutes and then turn over. Let it brown for 6-7 minutes.

Omelette :
Heat a pan or skillet, up to smoking and turn down the heat. Add some butter+oil to grease the surface.

Break 2 eggs in a bowl. Add a spoonful of Coriander and 1/4 tsp chopped Chillies. Add a pinch of salt and whip well.

Pour the egg mixture, when the flour tortilla is done on 1 side and you are about to flip it.. That ways, 1st side of the omelette and the 2nd side of the tortilla will be cooked in approximately the same time.

When the 2nd side is done, take it off the pan and put it over the omelette, with 2nd side facing the undone side of the eggs.

After sometime, turn it over so that, the flour side of the omelette is browned enough.

Now take omelette off the pan and set it over a foil piece or tissue paper.


Lay down the cooked sausages at the middle of the omelette(Over the narrow slices of cheese, if you choose to..). Then add the Mayo-Onions and then the Chilly Sauced Onions.

Roll tight shut using the foil and serve hot with fries and coke.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Black Eye Beans Curry

Black Eye Beans are another one of my favourite, with huge flavours and absolute easy to make. If you have time to soak the beans overnight, you could have an awesome tiffin lunch or dinner...

Serves 2

1 cup Black Eye Beans (Soaked in water, overnight)
9-10 Garlic pods, bruised
2" pc Ginger, chopped
2 medium sized Onions, chopped finely
3 medium sized Tomatoes, paste
1 1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Red Chilly Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Dhaniya Powder
2 tbsp Sunflower Oil
Chopped Coriander, to garnish

Take a deep, heavy-base pressure cooker, and heat some Oil in it.

Chop Onions and Ginger and bruise Garlic pods.

Add them to hot oil and let it brown. Keep stirring in between, so it doesn't stick.


Now make the tomato puree in a mixer-grinder and add to the browned Onions.


Now add Salt, Turmeric, Red Chilly Powder, Garam Masala and Dhaniya Powder.


Let the mixture leave oil and then add the soaked Beans and 3 times the water. Let it boil once and whistle once. Then simmer the heat and let it be for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off after 15 minutes, open after all the pressure is gone.

Garnish with Fresh Coriander and serve with hot steamed Rice.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Owsome Okra

Ladyfinger or Okra is a very popular vegetable, prepared using various recipes. Crispy fired with tangy-spicy masala, stuffed with gram flours and dry cooked, or even okra curry! Though, curry form doesn't go too well, as the slimy, sticky Okra messes up with the curry!!!

Any how, following recipe is a very simple and quick to make. All you need is a good, deep heavy based wok, and nice hot soft rotis to go with! I found some nice, clean, soft fresh Ladyfingers at a shopkeeper, so just couldn't wait to make them for dinner. Frankly speaking, I haven't met anyone yet, who actually hates Ladyfinger. Many kids who hate greens, leafy veggies, don't make any fuss while eating this. What's in this? Really, that crispy-crunchy sticks, who wouldn't want them!!!

I bought 1/2 kilos of Ladyfingers; A sure way to buy good, fresh firm Okra; while picking it, try breaking the pointed tip of the Ladyfinger. If it breaks cleaning making a snap sound, it's good, if the entire okra just bends, its soggy and probably not fresh.

Serves 2
500 grams Ladyfinger
1 large Onion
2-3 Green Chillies
7-8 Garlic Cloves
Cumin seeds
Salt
Turmeric
Red Chilly Powder
Dried Mango Powder, or Aamchur

1. Wash the Ladyfingers well, in running water and transfer them to a sieve to let the water drip. Pat dry each Ladyfinger well, carefully.

2. Chop the head of the Okra, and cut the body into 1/2" long pieces.

3. Cut the Chillies, lengthwise. Chop Onions and peel and bruise the Garlic.

4. Heat some oil in a deep pan/ Kadahi. Add Cumin seeds, let them crackle.

5. Then add Green Chillies and Garlic. Let them get burnt brown and the garlic vapour teases your olfactory sense. Then lower the heat and add Onions.

6. When the Onions are slight brown, add Salt, Turmeric and Red Chilly powder and fry some more.

7. Turn in the chopped up Okra, mix well and cover. Keep stirring every 5-7 minutes. Cook till Okra is soft.

Serve with the Tur Daal I publish yesterday!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Temper, the Tur

Tur daal, is probably the simplest of Indian lentil recipes. Of course, it depends all on how you temper the daal. Give it flavor, spice and depth. Onions, Tomatoes, Green Chillies, Coriander, Cumin seeds, Mustard seeds, a plethora of ingredients is used to bring more flavour to this simple recipe. The method shown below is the simplest, fastest and according to me, the yummiest of all...

Boil 1 cup Tur daal, in 3 cups water with some bruised Garlic cloves. Add salt, after it is boiled.

Add some Ghee, or clarified butter in a big serving spoon.

Add to the hot ghee, Cumin seeds, Asafoetida, Red chilly powder and Turmeric.

Slowly and carefully, take the ladle to the pan of dal, and drop in, and stir around.

Garnish with Coriander leaves and serve with hot rotis and steamed rice.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Pie, Pie, Apple Pie

Yes, these are my newest obsession and I just can't have enough of them; both making and having them!!! Apple Pies have this amazing therapeutic quality about them, which just relaxes you while you are making the crust or slicing apples, and of course, devouring a warm slice has no bounds of relaxation. So, I am sharing a recipe, taking elements from many around on the internet..
3-4 Apples (over ripe would work perfectly)
2 cups Flour (Maida)
100 gms Salted Butter (Chilled)
1 cup Sugar
2 eggs
2-3 bars Cinnamon and 3-4 Cloves ground with 1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence + 1 tbsp Honey (mixed together)
1 egg to brush over

1. Cut the chilled butter in cubes and add Flour. Rub them in lightly, until it is crumbly.

2. Add sugar and eggs, to form a dough. I first used granulated sugar, and fine sugar the next time. Frankly speaking, no real difference in taste, except granulated sugar gives a better crust.
3. Divide the dough in 2 slightly unequal parts and let the dough harden and chill in the fridge.

4. Now time to peel and slice the apples. Add lemon juice to the slices so they don't turn black.

5. Roll out the bigger part on a floured surface.

6. Lay rolled out base in a baking dish, taking the shape of the base, smoothly. Then arrange the Apple slices evenly.

7. Sprinkle the spiced sugar, quite elaborately and then add honey mixture...

8. Roll out the smaller part too and cover the dish, sealing off the edges.

9. Fork it to let the steam escape and brush over a whipped egg.. I made it in a Microwave+Grill at 600W for 20 Minutes..
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