Golden Soup

Golden soup, as the name suggest is equal to eating gold, said the person from whom i learnt this recipe. Golden soup rejuvenates the body after a brief illness like fever and is a good food for the elderly. With less butter and pure veg ingredients this is a sinless soup that can be had during any time of the day. The croutons in the soup makes it more interesting and crave for more. 

the recipe

carrot - 1

tomato - 2

onion - 1

celery - 2 stalks

butter - 1 tbsp

salt - to taste

sugar - 1 pinch

pepper - 1/4 tsp (adjust to taste)

Milk - 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup

Croutons –  1 slice of a bread or as much as you need

Water – 1 cup

the method

Chop the tomato, onion and carrot into medium sized pieces. Cut the celery into tiny pieces.

Heat butter in a pan and stir in the onion, carrot and salt and saute for about three minutes. Stir in the tomato and sauté for a minute. Pour the water and cook till the vegetables are soft. Let it cool.

Remove the vegetables from the stock and place it in a blender and grind it to a smooth paste. Return the vegetable puree to the stock. Stir in the celery and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce heat and pour the milk. Adjust consistency. Add pepper and sugar. Check salt and pepper. Turn off heat.

Croutons – Cut the bread into small pieces and fry it in oil or place it on a greased griddle or place it in the oven at 180oC, for 6 minutes (3 minutes either side) to make it crispy.

Serve it in soup bowls or tea cups. Garnish with croutons.

Serves - 4

The recipe goes to Dr.Sameena's Soup Recipes Event

Ginger Chicken

It was just another weekend and time to prepare some meat dish. The usual ones are curried for the need of gravy. Settled down with a not so much gravy ginger chicken….

Ginger chicken is sometimes fried in batter and then sautéed in sauce. I prepared a slightly healthier version without the frying part.  Tastewise, it does not taste that gingery but still has a different flavour when compared to a chilly chicken. Can be had with chapatti or fried rice. 

the recipe

chicken – 500 gms

ingredients for the marinade

ginger juice – 2 tbsp

soya sauce – 1 tbsp

salt – ½ tsp

for the tempering

onion – 1 or 2

garlic – 6 cloves

ginger juliennes – 2 tbsp

soya sauce – 2 tbsp

tomato sauce – 1 tbsp

kashmiri chilly powder –  1 ½ - 2 tsp

salt to taste

spring onion – 2 plants ( i used only the green part)

oil – 2 tbsp

sugar – 1 pinch

pepper powder – ½ - ¾ tsp

the method

Marinate the chicken pieces for an hour with the ingredients for the marinade . Heat oil in a pan and sauté the chicken pieces till three fourth done. Drain it from the oil and water mixture. Heat oil in another pan or use the same pan and stir in the garlic and onion. When soft add ginger juliennes. Saute for about a minute and add the soy sauce and a pinch of sugar and salt. Add the sautéed chicken and mix well. Let it cook for about 2 minutes. Stir it and add the tomato sauce.  Check salt. Mix well and sprinkle the pepper powder and spring onion. Cook for a minute and serve hot as mentioned above. or as you please.

Inji Puli (kinda Ginger Relish)

Inji puli or puli inji has a prominent or rather a permanent space in the onasadya alongwith the pickles. I have had this in massive amount when I was a kid, when my mother’s friend used to make it for Onam and send a pack of it for further season’s relish.

The making of Inji puli has however remained a quest with me since I did not have the confidence that I can come out with the same taste. Once I bought a readymade version which didn’t taste as good as the aunt made one.

Last Onam, I just set out on a trial of Inji Puli beginning with a recipe search on the web and I was astonished to find about 10 – 12 variants. So I had to pick the ingredients to bring out the same old taste and the result was almost the same but not exactly the same…. : - ) …….

…ingredients that went into the making…

Ginger, cubed into tiny pieces – 5 tbsp

Tamarind  – 2 tbsp (mix with water and make a pulp)

Jaggery, grated – 2-3 tbsp (adjust according to preferred sweetness, you can keep adding and tasting)

Oil – 2 – 3 tbsp ( I used veg oil)

Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

Green chillies – 2

Curry leaves – 5 leaves

Chilly powder – ½ tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 or 2 pinch

Salt – to taste

Rice flour – ¼ - ½ tsp

Yields 1 cup inji puli (as seen in the picture)

the method

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. Add the ginger and let it fry. When three fourths done, add green chillies and curry leaves. Sauté for few seconds and add chilly and turmeric powder. Add the tamarind pulp and let it boil. Stir in the grated jaggery and salt and mix well. Let it boil. Mix the rice flour in 2-3 tbsp water to make a rice solution. Pour it into the ginger mixture. Boil it again until the mixture turns to a lightly semi- liquid/solid state. Taste it. Adjust taste and turn off heat. The inji puli will further solidify due to the addition of rice flour which also balances the sharp flavour of tamarind. Use it as a pickle with rice or serve as you please. 

Frijole Mole (Chickpea Spread)

Out of the various addictions i have, reading lifestyle articles is one among them. As you might know nowadays, the newspapers goes beyond reporting news: there is a lifestyle section that includes everything from music, movies, fitness and of course food. 

Frijolemole is adapted from a recipe I found in the newspaper which I would call  is a cousin of hummus. The basic recipe is boiled chickpeas ground to a coarse paste while all the seasoning that goes into the making  is completely different. The seasoning gives an extra freshness to the frijolemole that can be used as a dip or a spread in chapati's, tacos or tortilla wraps.

the recipe

Chickpeas / White Garbanzo beans - 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Onion - 1 medium

Garlic - 3 cloves

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp or slightly more ( as per taste)

seasoning

spring onion with greens - 2

green chillies, de-seeded & finely chopped - 2

tomato, blanched, peeled & chopped - 1

Tobasco sauce or chilly sauce - 1 tbsp ( I used chilly sauce)

coriander leaves, chopped - 1 tbsp

sour cream or hung yogurt  (optional )- 1 tbsp ( i did not use them 'coz  i felt the combination of sauce and yogurt wouldn't suit our palate)

the method

Soak the chickpeas overnight and boil it with salt. Reserve the liquid from the boiled chickpeas. 

Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onion and garlic till light brown. Turn off heat.

In a blender, place the boiled chickpeas, lemon juice and the sautéed onion and garlic along with the oil. Grind it to a coarse paste. Add the reserved liquid if the mix is too thick. Place the ground mixture in a bowl and add all the seasonings. Mix well. Use it as mentioned above.

Baby Corn Salsa

To me, salsa is a versatile food ‘coz anything can go into it as long as the basics are followed for that fresh taste.

Baby Corn salsa happened as an establishment of my longtime  longing to make some tacos, and there couldn’t have been a better timing when I found these fresh, tender and very light baby corns in a store along with a rare citing in our place – red bell peppers. I lightly sautéed the red bell peppers to replace the jalapenos, usually added in a salsa. The sautéing was done to get rid of the raw taste of the peppers which otherwise my kids would reject. Recipe time.

Baby corn – 4

Tomato, chopped – 2 medium

Onion, chopped – 2 tbsp

Garlic, chopped – 1 clove

Lemon juice – 2 tbsp

Red bell pepper (sauted in a tsp of oil) – 2 tbsp or jalapeno, chopped – 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves / cilantro, chopped – 2 tbsp

Salt – to taste

the method

Blanch the baby corns – Boil water (just adequate to immerse the corn) with salt. Place the baby corn in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Remove from water. Cool and cut it into preferred shape.

In a bowl mix together, the chopped tomatoes, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, coriander, lemon juice, baby corn and salt. Serve it in tacos or as you please. This can also be served as a salad.

Chocolate & Vanilla Marble Cake

The original post with the detailed recipe is here.

Kedgeree

When it comes to savoury rice it was just the pulao and biryani that I used to prepare. Kedgeree comes as a big difference because it is prepared with eggs and fish and it also gives the option to add whatever you want, like potatoes, raisins and the like.

Kedgeree is eaten as a breakfast in the UK. I would call this an Indo – British dish because it is inspired by the Indian Khitchdi. The protein rich lentil in Khitchdi is replaced by the protein rich fish and egg in Kedgeree.

Though this is officially a breakfast, I prepare this as a quick fix for dinner. As regards seasoning, I have replaced the parsley in the actual recipe with mint leaves and the curry powder with garam masala. 

A vegetarian alternative is of course the khitchdi although the non-veg ingredients can be replaced with paneer or soya chunks (both packed with protein).

More information about the recipe is found here

rice  - 1/2 cup  (i have used short grained basmati jeera rice)
water - 1 cup

oil - 2 tbsp
onion - 1
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
chilly powder - 3/4 tsp (adjust according to taste)
garam masala - 1/2 tsp
salt - to taste
tomato, chopped - 2
potato, cubed - 1
raisins - 2 - 3 tbsp
Mint leaves, chopped - 1 tbsp
Fennel seeds - 1 pinch

Fish - 4 fillets
Egg - 2-3

the method

Marinate the fish fillets with salt and pepper powder. Fry it and flake it. The eggs can be either boiled and chopped or scrambled. I scrambled the egg to save time. 

Heat a pressure cooker and add oil. Stir in the chopped onion and sauté till light brown. Add the turmeric, chilly and garam masala powder and stir for few seconds. Add the tomatoes, salt and sauté for few seconds. Add the mint leaves, potato, fennel, rice, raisins and mix well. Pour the water and close it with the lid. Switch off heat when the first whistle blows. If using a pan, cook till the rice is done.

Add the fish flakes and scrambled egg to the rice mixture and mix well. Serve hot.

Soya Mince Curry

It is a tough task to zero in on a quickie curry for breakfast and therefore I tried the soya mince curry with inspirations from a mince meat curry preparation I saw in a cookery show. Most of the ingredients are the same as in a spicy curry and the new ingredient is boiled onion paste that gives a rich texture to the gravy and balances the pungency of all the spices.

About soya mince (dunno whether it is readily available in shops), I placed a few soya chunks in the blender for about 3 – 5 seconds. It comes out in a coarse powder form which when soaked in water bloats a little.

Hope you will like my experimentation!!

the recipe

Soya mince – ½ cup (blend about 20 soya chunks – the mince can be prepared in advance and stored)

Ginger juliennes – 1 tbsp

Garlic, chopped – 1 tbsp

Tomato – 1 large

Oil – 1 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Spice powders

Pepper powder – ½ tsp

Chilly powder – ½ tsp

Coriander powder – ½ tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Garam masala – ¼ tsp

Boiled onion paste - boil 1 large chopped onion in ½ cup water and cook till all the water is absorbed. Grind it to a fine paste

the method

Soak the soya mince in hot water for ten minutes. Drain the water and wash again. Use a sieve to drain the soya mince.

Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic. When lightly brown add the ginger. Saute for a minute and stir in the chopped tomatoes till soft. Stir in the spice powders and sauté. Pour the boiled onion paste and ½ cup water. Add salt. Let it boil for a minute. Stir in the soaked soya mince and let it simmer for 5 minutes or till oil separates and is visible above the curry. Check salt. A dash of lemon juice enhances the taste. Serve as you please. We had it with pidis (rice dumplings). 


the recipe goes to Dish it out by Vardhini

Kashmiri Parantha / Kashmiri Paratha

I came across the name Kashmiri Parantha while dining out in a North Indian restaurant in Kochi. Since the name was new to me, I was euphoric to read the menu that gave a small description about what went into the filling: paneer and dry fruits.

The parantha however had many more flavours which I had to guess ’coz a google search to find the exact recipe seemed to offer only bits of information. The search also revealed that there are veg and non-veg versions.

I prepared a veg Kashmiri parantha with the information from the menu, the web and all the taste I could recollect, and the result was ……..try it and you’ll know it!!

the recipe

ingredients for the dough

Wheat flour – 1 cup

Water – ½ cup or a little less

Salt to taste

ingredients for the filling

Paneer, grated – ½ cup

Raisins, chopped into tiny pieces – 5

Cashew nuts, chopped into tiny pieces – 3

Cherry, chopped – 5

Cumin – 1 pinch

Kasuri methi  – ½ tsp (soak for 2-3 minutes and wash it twice)

Oil / Ghee / Butter – as required

the method

Mix together the ingredient for the filling. Keep it aside.

Prepare dough with the wheat flour, water and salt. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts and roll it into paranthas.

placing the filling

Take a parantha and place 1 – 11/2 tbsp of the paneer filling. Close it with another parantha and seal the edges. Cook it on a griddle and apply ghee/ butter / oil.

Kashmiri paranthas tastes good with pickles and raita. A recommended accompaniment is Kashmiri Paneer.

the recipe goes to Stuffed Paratha event by Vardhini

Fish in Coconut milk gravy

Fish curry is an inevitable part of the Malayali meal .... am talking about the non-vegetarians. This should be the reason why there are so many recipes for a fish curry with more and more improvisation made by various influences. Fish in coconut milk gravy is like a staple curry that is prepared on a day-to-day basis or rather on a daily basis in most homes. 

The color in the curry looks fiery as the photograph suggests but the taste was mellowy. Coconut milk balances the taste of the cocum and the chilly and does not even reveal the presence of ginger which contributes a significant flavor to the taste of any fish preparation. 

I mentioned about the improvisation that comes with each homes / cooks: I have improvised this fish curry with a dash of cumin, mustard and fenugreek seeks and I have sauted the ginger and have also ground ginger along with the coconut. This adds to the zing of the curry and leaves a nice taste in the taste buds even after you finish the meal. .........try it yoursel!!

the recipe

Fish – 1 kg

Small onion, chopped – 3

Green chilly – 2

Curry leaf – 2 sprigs

Oil – 3 tbsp

ingredients for the crushed mixture

(to be crushed in the mixer for about 3 seconds – this is similar to pounding)

Small onion – 5

Ginger – 1 ½

Cumin – 1 generous pinch

Mustard – ¼ tsp

Fenugreek – 1 pinch

Tomato – 2 medium sized

Cocum – 6  medium sized pieces

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Chilly powder – 4 tsp or more

Salt – to taste

Coconut milk ( extracted by grinding together ½ part coconut and ½  inch piece ginger)

First extract – ¾ cup

Second extract – ½ cup

the method

Heat oil in a pan and add the three chopped small onions. When brown, add the crushed mixture, green chilly, curry leaves and salt. Saute till light brown. Add turmeric and chilly powder. Stir well for a minute or so. If it starts burning add a little water. Stir in the chopped tomato and cocum. Pour the second extract of the coconut and boil for ten minutes. 

Add the fish pieces and cook for about five - ten minutes in medium heat (Adjust this time based on the type of fish). Swirl the pot instead of using a spoon to mix the fish pieces. Check salt.

(Coconut milk tends to split if poured into a hot sauce, therefore, cook in medium to low heat before and after pouring the coconut milk.)

Add the first extract of the coconut and swirl the pot again. Simmer for 1-2 minutes and then turn off heat.  Serve after one hour.


The recipe goes to Food Palette Red Event