Beef Stroganoff

A vegetarian version of the recipe can be prepared with mushrooms and meat substitutes for beef are chicken and lamb.

Beef Stroganoff is a Russian dish that evolved during the late 19^th century and has adapted its way into the plates around the world. After reading the recipe from various sources, I had a tendency to prepare a fusion recipe with Indian spices. But I just went with the basics and mildly spiced it with rosemary, which is thoroughly optional.  

It is interesting to note that the recipe can be prepared with whatever is available at home though the name sounds completely strange – well it sounded strange to me when I heard it the first time. Some interesting read about the recipe is found here.

Beef Stroganoff is served on a bed of rice or noodles. I tried it with lightly seasoned pasta and it was fabulous. The recipe serves 4.

Beef – 400 gms

Butter – 4 tbsp ( can be substituted with veg oil)

Veg oil – 2 tbsp

Salt – taste

Garlic – 8 cloves

Onion – 2 big, cut into rings

Carrot – 1 , chopped into round pieces

Celery, chopped (optional) – 2 stalks

Rosemary – ½ tsp

Pepper powder – ½ - ¾ tsp

Sour cream – ½ - ¾ cup ( can be substituted with curd / yoghurt)

Flour – 1 ½ tbsp

The method

Cut the beef into 2 inch long, ½ inch wide thin strips. Heat 2 tbsp butter plus 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the beef pieces in batches. Add the remaining butter and oil as and when required till the beef is fried. Keep the beef strips aside.

To the remaining oil add the finely chopped garlic, onion, carrot and celery. When soft, sprinkle the flour and stir till it is completely mixed with the veggies. Add the rosemary, pepper and check salt. Ligthly beat the sour cream and pour it over the veggies in two batches stirring briskly (If you are using curd / yoghurt add 2-3 tbsp water to reduce the sourness). When the cream boils add the meat and simmer for 3 minutes.

To serve

Boil pasta. Heat oil (as required for the amount of pasta) in a pan and add chillies flakes. Add the pasta and toss it.

Place pasta in a plate and top it with Beef Stroganoff.

Nutty Fruity Oats Mittai

the recipe

Oats – 6 tbsp

Sugar – 3 tbsp

Almonds / cashew nutss – 10

Dates – 6

Raisins – 10

Veg oil – 1 tbsp

the method

Lightly roast the oats: for about 3 minutes in a low flame. Chop the dates, raisin and nuts into tiny pieces.

Caramelise the sugar – place the sugar in a flat aluminium pan, let it melt and turn light brown. Add the chopped fruits and nuts and veg oil and cook for 1 minute in low flame. Spread it evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the roasted oats evenly on the fruit and nut mixture and let it stay for 10 seconds. Mix the mixture thoroughly for about two – three minutes till the oats is thoroughly coated with the caramel mixture. Turn off heat. Quickly shape the mixture into preferred shapes. I used the lid of a tiny bottle to make the shape. Use it after the mittais cool completely to get a crunchy consistency. Yields 20 mittais. 

Chocolate & Vanilla Marble Cake

From the very first time I tasted a marble cake, the design has intrigued me. When I learnt how it is done, it seemed quite simple. I prepare the cake both in convection as well as microwave mode. If baked in microwave, the cake does not have crust on the side, but tastes the same and has the same design.

the recipe

flour – ¾ cup (approximately 15 tbsp)

castor sugar –  ½ cup or 12-14 tbsp

baking powder – 1 tsp

vanilla extract – 1 tsp

eggs – 3 (at room temperature)

butter – 75 gms (at room temperature)

cocoa powder – 1 ½ tbsp

milk – ¼ cup

the method

Sift together the flour and baking powder three times.

Preheat oven at 180^oC. 

Prepare a cake tin – apply butter and then sprinkle flour – dust off excess flour (keep the tin in a refrigerator so that the butter doesn’t melt away)

cake mixing

Place the butter in a slightly deep bowl. Use a fork or electric beater and soften the butter. Add the castor sugar 1 tbsp spoon at a time and continue whisking till the mixture doubles in volume. Add the eggs one by one, whisking one minute per egg. When all three eggs are added whisk for another 5 minutes at high speed. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.

Add the flour 2 tbsp at a time and mix with a wooden spatula. When the flour is thoroughly mixed, divide it into two portions.

Mix the cocoa powder in ¼ cup milk. Add the mixture to one portion of the cake mixture and mix well.

Use two slightly big spoon - one for the vanilla mix and one for the chocolate.

Place one spoon of vanilla mix in the middle of the cake tin (don’t flatten). Then place one spoon of the chocolate mix on the vanilla. Again place the vanilla mix. Repeat the process alternatively till both the mix is placed in the middle of the cake tin. Using the back side of the spatula or the pointing finger, dig into the middle of the chocolate and vanilla cake mix and make swirls with some gap till the end of the tin. The cake mix would have evenly spread. Pat the sides of the tin to get rid of air bubbles. Bake it in the pre heated oven for 22 – 25 minutes. Once the top has formed crust use an aluminium foil or aluminium plate to cover the tin to prevent burning.

French Onion Soup

You need not have a French onion to prepare this soup…..it can be prepared from the usually variety.

It is a hot soup with lots of pepper which is balanced with the caramelised onions. The basis recipe is prepared with beef broth, but it tastes with chicken or vegetable stock.

Erissery

Erissery can be prepared with red oriental beans or green gram and there are a number of options while choosing the vegetables. Raw banana, yam and pumpkin are the usual veggies and I learnt recently that erissery is prepred with raw jackfruit too. This is almost like my version of erissery b’coz I have added coriander powder and the end result is actually tasty.

 

the ingredients

green gram – ½ cup

pumpkin, cubed – 500 gms

chilly powder – 1 – 1 ½ tsp

turmeric powder – 1 tsp

coriander powder – 1 tsp

salt – to taste

ingredients to be coarsely ground

coconut – ¼ part

cumin – ¾ tsp

small onion – 5

garlic(optional) – 5

for the tempering

oil – 1 tbsp

mustard – ½ tsp

small onion – 3-5

curry leaves – 2 sprig

coconut, grated – ¼ part

the method

The consistency of erissery is similar to a mash so the preferred utensil to prepare it is a pressure cooker.

Pressure cook the green gram to an almost done consistency (two whistle – I dint soak the green gram) with just adequate water. Stir in the pumpkin pieces, turmeric, chilly powder, coriander powder, salt and coarsely ground coconut mixture. Pour water if need be. Pressure cook for one whistle. Now the pumpkin and green gram would have completely cooked. Stir with a spoon to make it into a mash consistency and cook it in high heat if there is excess water. 

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it crackles stir in the onion and curry leaves. Add a pinch of salt and turmeric and stir for few seconds. Add the grated coconut and fry till golden brown. Pour it over the pumpkin mix and stir well.