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Showing posts from 2010

Thanksgiving - Veg Gratin

I made two main dishes for a mostly vegetarian thanksgiving get-together with friends. They both turned out to be successful. The first one was a gratin. I followed the directions to the word, and it came out great. What I like the most about it is that it uses much less cream than most gratin recipes. The potato-wiping step might be a little overkill, but I think important. The source of this recipe is Well's Vegetarian Thanksgiving from NYTimes. Adapted from “Cooking Know-How” Garden Vegetable Gratin A layered potato casserole, a gratin (pronounced grah-TAN) is a French dish named for both the technique and the dish it’s baked in: a fairly shallow, oval, oven-safe baking dish. Nonetheless, you can make it in a standard 9-by-13-inch baking dish, more in keeping with standard American cookware. Here’s a perfect version for your holiday table: a side dish that just may even conquer the main course! Ingredients 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 ounces s

Blueberry muffins

We went blue berry picking with my mom-in-law. And I made some muffins using this recipe from smitten kitchen. 5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces or 71 grams) unsalted butter , softened 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams) sugar 1 large egg 3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces or 191 grams) all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoon (7 grams or 1/4 ounce) baking powder 1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda 1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt Creamed butter and sugar, add egg, beat, add sour cream, vanilla, Add dry ingredients, add to muffin pans and bake.

Sateh Special - Sindhi delicacies to be eaten cold!!

So my mom-in-law is visiting and I'm learning so many new Sindhi recipes and a thing or two about the culture too. We're celebrating the festival of Sateh, when we cook on one day, and eat everything cold the next. Here's all the delicacies she's been making: - Satpuda - Chothe - Lola - Mattha The next day, we ate everything for lunch, along with some yogurt. What a meal! Chothe: ------- Take three parts maida. Add Whole ilaichi dane. Soak 1 part sugar in water (do not try to dissolve, just soak till the water reaches above the sugar level). Add oil to the maida (muthi padtu mon), and then knead the dough with the sugar and water. Do not knead too much - just until it all comes together. Let it rest for a while. Then make large disks and press firmly on the edges, so that the dough is tight and does not break (I skipped this step, and the chothe didn't come out smooth). Then roll it out till about a quarter inch thick (this needs to be fairly thick). Then cut into q

Peach Gallette

This one was inspired by a recipe I saw on Food TV and the base came from Mark Bittman. I messed it up slightly, but I'm writing what should be the recipe. for the crust: 1 1/4 cup A.P. flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 8 tbsp cold butter, 3-4 tbsp ice cold water. Make the dough like a pie dough in the food processor (I made it by hand). Roll and place on a parchment paper. For the filling: 2 peaches and 2 nectarines, peel, slice, add a tbsp of sugar and 1/2 tbsp corn starch. place in the middle of the crust, and fold the edges free form. sprinkle some sugar on the top edges (for browning) and place in a 375 degrees oven for half an hour. Serve warm or at room temperature with sweetened whipped cream.

Blackberry or other fruit Gelato/Icecream/Kulfi

This was super easy...but absolutely awesome...just blend the fruit and strain it (a fruit like blackberry..) mix with milkmaid and freeze. I made black berry and Peach/nectarine...Tasted the blackberry while it's still in the process of freezing...it tasted great!! Should make this even in off summer with frozen fruits...

Plum Clafoutis

Slice plums and some cherries (or any other stone fruit) and arrange on a buttered dish. For the batter, melt half a stick of butter, whisk together 3 eggs, 1 cup of milk, and vanilla. For dry ingredients, mix half a cup of flour, half a cup of sugar, a pinch of salt and some baking powder. Mix the butter and wet ingredients into the dry and whisk till combined. Cover the fruit with this batter and bake at 350 for 40-45 mins (till golden on the sides and done from the middle). Enjoy the summer fruit!!

Lemon-Berry Tarts

Great for the peak of summer. I made these in individual ramekins (I have these cute ones in the shape of a baking dish). Make the tart dough. I used this kinda unusual french tart dough recipe from David Lebovitz. It worked really well. I did it in a microwave though. In a microwave, heat 6tbsp of butter, 1tbsp oil, 3 tbsp water, 1tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt. When the butter starts bubbling, add 1 rounded cup flour and mix. Spread the dough evenly in the ramekins and mark with forks. Bake at 400 till light golden. Cool. I also made his lemon curd (this was actually leftover from the cake I baked a few days ago. Fill the tart with lemon curd and decorate with mixed berries. Serve with sweetened whipped cream. I made the mistake of skipping it first, and it tasted a bit too tart. With the cream, it was heavenly.

Another Picnic Meal - Peanut Noodles

We went to this awesome concert at Tanglewood yesterday and packed some tomato avocado sandwiches (simply apply Mayo to the bread, slices of tomatoes and avocado and salt/pepper), some strawberries and some cookies. The main meal was peanut noodles - very quick to make and yummy.. It's based on what I remembered from an Ina Garten recipe. The original recipe has sugar snap peas, which tastes great, but I had cooked edamame on hand, so that's what I used. For the dressing: Peanut butter (I used the natural crunchy one from TJ's), soy sauce, sesame oil, vegetable oil, sriracha, ginger paste, fresh minced garlic. Whisk everything together. Add boiled noodles (spaghetti or any other - this time I used egg noodles from the asian store), strips of red bell pepper and the cooked edamame. Chill in the refrigerator and pack.

Paneer Kofta Curry

When the milk is about to go bad..Bring milk to a boil in a big pan, and add lime juice. Stir till the milk separates, then strain out the paneer and let drain. Boil, peel and mash potatoes. Mix potatoes, paneer, corn starch, salt, chopped cilantro, finely chopped green chillies and a pinch of garam masala. Make small round koftas and fry on a slow-medium flame. For the gravy, blend together boiled onions, soaked cashewnuts and khuskhus, ginger-garlic paste and a green chilli. Heat oil, fry the white paste, add water, salt, sugar and cream and boil on a medium flame. Add koftas and serve.

White summer cake with Berries and Lemon Curd

One of my best friends defended her PhD thesis. I baked this cake for celebrating. The frosting did not cooperate much due to the crazy summer heat, but the flavors were perfect for the summer. Parts : Cake, lemon curd, frosting, berry filling and toppings. Cake : I cheated and used boxed mix. I used Betty Crocker classic white cake. Follow the instructions on the back, but add a few tbsps of lemon juice and some lemon zest. Either make three layers, or bake two uneven layers, and slice the larger one into two to make three layers. Lemon Curd : This recipe came from David Libovitz. It took longer than expected, but note to self - do not overcook, or the butter will separate. http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2009/12/improved_lemon_curd.html 1/2 cup (125 ml) freshly-squeezed lemon juice 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar (or 1/2 cup, 100 g, if using regular lemons) 2 large egg yolks 2 large eggs pinch of salt 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, cubed 1. Place a mesh strainer over a bowl, and se

Veg. Biryani

This recipe comes from vahrevah.com with a few modifications. Soak rice for about half an hour. Soak saffron in water. Chop veggies in big chunks (green beans, carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms. Make chunky chips of the potatoes. Slice onions (horizontally to get fine slices). In a pot, heat oil+ghee, add small ilaichi, big ilaichi, bay leaf, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon (and shahee jeera, which I forgot). Add ginger + garlic paste and add the vegetables. Saute for a long time, till the veggies are slightly underdone, and browned on the outside. Add some green peas right at the end. Then, add turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala and saute for a few seconds. Then add salt and yoghurt and cook for a bit. Remove half the vegetables and then add more yoghurt. In the mean time, in a big pot, boil water with oil, salt, bay leaf, green ilaichi and cloves. Add the rice and cook till slightly underdone, then drain out. Brown onion slices on a slow flame till dark brown

Key Lime Meltaways

I made this for a get together...and they were a big hit. Here's the original link from SmittenKitchen Here's the recipe (I made half a batch). 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup confectioners’ sugar Grated zest of 4 tiny or 2 large key limes 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 1 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (a.k.a. 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons) 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt 1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar until fluffy. Add lime zest, juice, and vanilla; beat until fluffy. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add to butter mixture, and beat on low speed until combined. 3. Between two 8-by-12-inch pieces of parchment paper, roll dough into two 1 1/4-inch-diameter logs. Chill at least 1 hour. 4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Place remaining 2/3 cup s

The ultimate chocolate cake

I made this once for L. on his birthday. He made it once for mine. The frostings were different (I did an elaborate orange curd butter cream , he did a chocolate ganache). We love this cake layer recipe. Recipe from Epicurious . For cake layers * 3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut * 1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee * 3 cups sugar * 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour * 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process) * 2 teaspoons baking soda * 3/4 teaspoon baking powder * 1 1/4 teaspoons salt * 3 large eggs * 3/4 cup vegetable oil * 1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk * 3/4 teaspoon vanilla For ganache frosting * 1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut * 1 cup heavy cream * 2 tablespoons sugar * 2 tablespoons light corn syrup * 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter Special equipment * two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans print a shopping list for this recipe Preparation Make cake l

Edamame, Tomato, Avocados salad

This was really really good. I'm sure variations would be nice too...I got these cooked, ready to eat edamame from Trader Joe's. They made this salad a breeze to make. For the dressing: lime juice, salt, pepper, roasted cumin powder, olive oil. To this add: Shelled, cooked Edamame, cherry tomatoes, cut in half, chopped avocados, red or spring onion, cilantro.

Black Bean Salsa - Party Batch

I made this black bean salsa for one of my best friend's baby's first birthday party. It was a huge hit. This made a big foil pan (enough to feed about 45-50 people as an appetizer). 3 big cans (29 oz) black beans 2 big cans (28 oz) petite Diced Tomatoes (Hunts) 2 medium cans yellow golden corn (Del Monte) 3 large green peppers, seeded and diced 2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced 1 big red pepper, seeded and diced 1 or 2 bunches of cilantro, finely chopped 3 bunches of spring onion, white and green, sliced 1 big red onion, finely diced juice of 4 limes 1/4 cup cumin, slowly roasted and coarsely ground 4 tbsp red chilli flakes 3 tbsp Corriander-cumin powder 1 tbsp Red chilli powder 4 tbsp Dried Oregano Salt to taste. Mix everything together. Serve with two bags of tortilla scoops.

Methi Malai Matar

Every time I make this, I say to myself - "This is perfect for making for a crowd, since it's so quick and easy and yet Yummy"..but every time I prepare a menu for a party, I never think of this.. Hopefully having the recipe here would help..This is a slightly simplified, no-fuss recipe..hence there's no dry spice to grind etc..I also use frozen Methi (which is the only kind I get and works perfectly). Soak a small handful of cashew nuts and a table spoon of khus khus in milk. Thow out a handful of chopped Methi leaves and squeeze out the liquid. In a pan with some oil/ghee saute the methi leaves for a couple of minutes. This helps make the final gravy less green. Remove and set aside. Thaw out and lightly cook a couple of handfuls of green peas and set aside. Roughly chop a large onion and grind into a smooth paste (along with one green chilli). You may add fresh ginger/garlic in the paste, or use ready made paste. In the same pan, heat some oil/ghee. Add cumin seeds

Cheese Straws..quick appetizer

I took these to a friend's birthday party..and worked out well. The recipe is from SmittenKitchen Combine 11/2 cups grated sharp cheese like cheddar (I used a mexican blend), 1/2 cup soft butter, 3/4 cup of flour, salt, red chilli flakes, and a table spoon on cream into dough. Roll out and cut into strips. Bake at 350 for 10-15 mins. Cool and serve.

Chat Night

So we had friends over, and one of them doesn't eat onions and garlic..so I thought up a chat menu that can be customized both ways..It turned out to be a huge hit..Here's what I came up with.. 1. Mung dal wada with or without onions and spring onion dip. Mummy's recipe from here . 2. Khaman Dhokla. Used Talod na Dhokla and followed the package directions exactly (it's important to follow the proportions exactly). Then for the tadka, added mustard seeds, green chillies, sesame seeds, curry leaves and water. Boil and spread. Garnish with cilantro, fresh coconut and Sev. 3. Radga Pattice. Recipe follows. 4. Kulfi - Hugely popular..Ideas from showmethecurry.com, but modified quite a bit. Recipe follows. Ragda Pattice: Pattice: Boil, peel and mash potatoes (use Russet for good results since they have more starch). Add salt, lime juice, chat masala, red chilli powder, chopped cilantro, and corn starch. Make medium sized tikkis and shallow fry with very little oil

Moving Special - Leftover Chat Samosa & daal samosas

L. has the habit of leaving a small portion of something nice to eat for later. That means We were left with packets of dry snacks containing a handful of each (Moong Dal, Mini bhakarwadi, and home made poha chivda). I was making green peas samosa to use up the samosa wrappers (Did I tell you I use Goya Empanadas Wrappers, cut into half as samosa wrappers..work great) and some green peas. And in a moment of epiphany, these unbelievably tasty samosas were born. I boiled and mashes some green peas. Added a teaspoon of ghee and sauted them. Added salt, chat masala, Hing and tiny bit of chilli powder. Then, I added some mint chutney (which had, mint, coriander, green chillies, cumin, lime, etc). And then added a handful each of the dry snacks. Mixed everything up, filled the samosas and fried them. Chatpata samosas on a snow day. I didn't even need ketchup with these..they were so good. Next time, I make some chat samosas, I'm going to look around in our snack corner. A few weeks a

Pancake - Two ways

L. Loves Pancakes. Here are two recipes that work for my reference. One is with buttermilk (works fantastic, but has a lot more butter) and the other one is with regular milk. Both are are from Food Network. Buttermilk pancakes: Ingredients * 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour * 1 1/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk * 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter plus 2 tablespoons for cooking * 2 large eggs * 2 tablespoons granulated sugar * 1 teaspoon kosher salt * 1 teaspoon baking soda * 1 teaspoon baking powder * Blueberry Maple Syrup, recipe follows Directions In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients except 2 tablespoons butter until evenly combined and moistened thoroughly (some small lumps will remain). Set mixture aside to rest while griddle heats or cover and store in the refrigerator to rest up to 12 hours before using. (If batter rests, stir briefly before using.) Heat a large seasoned cast iron skillet, frying pan, or griddle over medium heat. To check that the pan'

3-4-5 KopraPak (Coconut Burfee)

It's time to move again..and to clean up the freezer. I had quite a bit of frozen coconut to use up, and so I decided to make Koprapak. I usually make it with condensed milk, but this time I needed a dry version that will travel and stay well. So, I asked mom for her recipe..it came out well, except at one point it stuck on the bottom, giving it slight color (mom's is nice and white)..and it was a tad too sweet..and I first thought it was because my tolerance for sweetness in Indian sweets has gone down..but then I kept thinking about it, and then realized...the sugar in the US is finer, hence if we measure it by volume, you get more of it. Next time, I will reduce the sugar slightly...too bad it messes up the nice 3-4-5 measurement! It's really simple - 3 parts milk, 4 parts sugar and 5 parts coconut. Mix together (leave aside half part sugar) and heat slowly till it leaves the sides of the pan and most of the liquid evaporates. Add cardamom and saffron. Add the remaining

Happy Birthday to Jaipur Mummy

I baked a cake (well, she's in India..but we wanted to celebrate anyways). I tried this different kind of cake. I wouldn't call it a complete success. I didn't get as much volume as I should have and I burnt the brown butter the first time around (I was lost in thoughts..really)..so had to throw it away and start over...but overall it was delicious...the cake did rise, and encompass pear and chocolate like the recipe says...just that I felt that I still need a lot more experience with eggs-flour-sugar... Link to the SmittenKitchen Blog Al Di La’s Torta di Pere [Bittersweet Chocolate and Pear Cake] Courtesy of Al Di La Restaurant in Park Slope, Brooklyn (Notes from the blogger) Aside from the chocolate chunks, the bits of pear and the browned butter (like I you need to hear anything else before you take off in the direction of the kitchen) one of the coolest things about baking this cake is the eggs, that are beaten far beyond “combined” or “fluffy” but until they have the v

Makar Sankrant Special

This Makar Sankrant was all about tradition - well actually only food traditions..There were no kites..there was no Haldi Kumkum...but there was food... My MIL makes carrot halwa every year..so I did. My mom sometimes makes Khichdo, so I did (actually a couple days later), and I grew up with Tilgul..so I made some of those too... Here are the quick recipes: Carrot Halwa: Peel and grate carrots. Heat some ghee and saute them. Add whole milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream and keep stirring. Add sugar and keep stirring till the mixture thickens. Add cardamom, nutmeg, fried cashew, etc. Tilgul: The important thing to remember here is: one part "stuff" (Til, Dalia, peanuts, etc) and half part gud. Roast one cup Til on a low flame, till nice and nutty. Roast a quarter cup each of Dalia and peanuts and break coarsely. Add some fresh cardamom powder to this dry mixture. Heat 3/4 cup gud on a low flame and sprinkle some water. When the syrup is ready (drop a ball in cold water, and

A New Year's Eve Dinner - And Ramblings about the perfect menu

I always find menu planning more challenging than actual recipes. These days there are millions of recipes online and you can find one for practically everything. But there is not enough material out there that talks about planning the perfect menu. It's so cool when everything goes well together and the meal works out perfectly. I think the reason menu planning is so challenging is that it is not static (well..even recipes should not be static and should change based on seasons, availability of fresh ingredients and the taste and preferences of people you're cooking for..but you can get away by following a good recipe closely). Menus are inherently dynamic. So much depends on the occasion, and the number of people and events that are to follow or precede the meal, etc. But like good recipes, good menu planning guidelines are wonderful. And every once in a while, you stumble upon the perfect menu...and the perfect setup. This New Year's Eve dinner was like that. Here's