Ham and Cheese Crepes

I have been super busy the past two months. Just completed a very big and very important project in life that will serve as a retirement cushion. So pretty stoked! But what that necessarily entailed, was me not having time for the small pleasures in life – like cooking something exciting and blogging about it. The co-resident plays football every Saturday morning and comes home ravenously hungry. I got up early today and decided to make a decadent breakfast for him, to make up for all the days in the past few weeks that he has had to eat Maggi noodles! A ham and cheese crepe is a very nice way of saying thank you don’t you think?

Chocolate Torte in Twenty (Flourless Chocolate Cake)

I know I’m a day late, but Merry Christmas nevertheless! I had planned to put up a Christmassy recipe, but after seeing the blogosphere jam packed with everything plum pudding-y and fruit cake-y and mince meat pie-y, I decided otherwise. I’m no expert in this area anyway, so why bother trying?! With my friend coming down to town, my mom’s birthday and finally Christmas - the past week had so many things happening all at once, that I’ve had an overdose of going out and partying (No, Seriously!).

All I wanted to do today was withdraw into my cocoon (curl up into a ball under my quilt) and read a book. A nice chocolate something for company, would be a bonus. I had two bars of glorious dark chocolate with cocoa nibs stashed away for just such an occasion. Of course slaving over the stove (or oven in this case) and curling up under the quilt seem like two diametrically opposite goals. But the Chocolate Torte is hardly a culinary taskmaster! So twenty minutes later, I’m curled up on the couch with a book in one hand, the fantastic torte in the other and my two cat babies (Muesli and Blanco) nestled against me. They look up sleepily and I hear a contended purr…oh wait, that was me!

Quick Fried Rice - A Lifesaver, literally!

Chinese Cooking is an art (At least for me). So attempts of Chinese cuisine at home are few and far between. We do visit the fancy Chinese restaurant for a nice meal, but nothing beats ordering greasy Chinese food from the neighborhood restaurant and settling blissfully on the couch to watch reruns of ‘How I met your Mother’ (Or CSI Miami, if that’s your scene :P). At the end of the meal however there’s always a faint feeling of regret. And regret tastes like a swollen tongue because of the amount of MSG/ Ajinomoto that the local guys use, to kick up the taste of the food. Not nice… not nice at all!

When such derailing urges strike these days, thankfully I don’t need to call the Ajinomoto joint anymore. (No, I don’t have a Chinese chef at home.) But I recently found this brand called Blue Dragon, which makes some amazing stir fry sauces. All I need to do is cut up some chicken and veggies and stir fry them quickly and toss the sauce in to finish! It tastes brilliant :) and even though I know there is some MSG in it, the level is not as high as leaving my mouth feeling like a barren wasteland! The only problem with this situation is that I only have the main course bit covered. Now if I order the noodles or rice from Ajinomoto Joint (that’s not their real name!), it defeats the purpose. That’s when I came across this fantabulous (yes, it’s that satisfying) Quick Fried Rice recipe. It looks and tastes like the real deal and helps complete the meal! Win win! Feels as good as Superman saving the day… well almost!

French Macarons and Amande Patisserie

There has been a flurry of activity around the Macaron in Bangalore. Suddenly home bakers have taken to trying their hand at churning these pretty treats out, Taj Vivanta has a Macaron festival, patisseries are selling them hot off the mint and  there has even been serious discussions on a popular food group around their spelling! Adding to this is Masterchef Australia – I don’t think there’s been one season where the contestants have not tried their hand at impressing the judges with a fancy macaron. I guess we’ve reached critical mass for the Macaron in Bangalore and Amande Patisserie has come in at the right moment!

Before you read any further, I have a few things to profess. When I first came across Amande, I was just a happy customer. Being a click crazy person, of course I had to take pretty pictures of the Macarons and cry out to all and sundry on Facebook on how much I loved them. Owing to this evangelist behavior Amande’s customer list included people from my friend list as well! Amande’s owner was tickled pink that a few pictures could get him a larger fan following. (They don’t have a retail outlet yet..only home delivery by ordering online.) So he asked me to click a couple of more pictures for his website – to showcase new flavors. I happily obliged (which food photography obsessed geek wouldn’t?). So now that Amande is a photography client, (P.S. As of now, none of my pics are updated on the website yet. Will let you'll know when they are) Would it be wrong of me to write about them?  I did think of this for a long time and finally decided – I love their macarons irrespective of shooting for them and it would be a great disservice to you guys if I didn’t talk about it here. Besides, if I’m telling you upfront about the circumstances, so I'm sure you guys would understand. (P.S. I got paid in kind in Macarons and wine, so that lessens the promotional angle :P)

Okonomiyaki or "As you like" - Japanese Pizza

Featured in Foodgawker.com on 20th Nov 2012

Featured in Tasteologie.notcot.org on 20th Nov 12

Featured in BitchinKitchen's Twitter feed on 28th Nov 12

I must confess, I had never heard of this thing till my trip to Stuttgart this summer. I know Stuttgart and Japan are miles apart, but the story starts there. The co-resident’s friends, let’s call then D and E decided to make Okonomiyaki for dinner. Now E had travelled to Japan for her summer break and fell in love with this dish.

The dish being a savory omlette/ frittata/ pizza made out of flour, eggs, cabbage, veggies and pork and topped off with mayo, sweet sauce, fish flakes and seaweed. It’s so popular in Japan that there are more than 30,000 specialized Okonomiyaki restaurants. The restaurant provides you with ready okomomiyaki batter and you add in whatever your heart desires and proceed to grill it on the grill pan in front of you. Then you decorate it with the condiments of your choice and proceed to polish off your Japanese pizza! Unfortunately there are less than 100 restaurants outside Japan that serve this, so if you want to eat it, you’ve got to make it yourself!

So when E and D made this for me, I was intrigued but not entirely convinced of its merit. When I ate it though, I was hooked! Trust me the ingredient list might sound kooky but it tastes incredible! Now E is a converted vegetarian, so her version does not include pork or seafood but feel free to add it if you please. Literally, that’s what Okonomi means - “as you like” :)

P.S. A friend told me Harima in Bangalore serves a mean Okonomiyaki… must try it out!

Savoury Breakfast Muffins to wake you up!

It’s nice to have a good savory muffin in one’s repertoire. (Not that I would ever tire of cupcakes!). But some mornings need a nice wake-me-up-punch and if I load myself with sugary delights, I know I’m going to crash by midday! So this one’s a lovely cheddar and spinach muffin with the red chilli adding the right amount of spice. It feels really healthy because its got veggies and milk and just 3 gms of butter per muffin! (Almost felt like a subway advert there – less than 6 gms of fat!). It’s also really easy to make – just combine the wet and dry ingredients and bake! I would suggest eating these warm (not hot) so that you can still feel the gooey cheese. I like to throw on some Tabasco on top, because I’m crazy! Good Morning darlings… I’m sure going to have one!

Fluffy Sponge Cake and a Trifle Pudding

Sponge cakes are so called because they are as fluffy as a sea sponge. The air incorporated into the batter lifts the cake to make it light and irresistible. Since it is used as a base for many other desserts it’s one of the first cake recipes that I wrote down in my little black book of Baking! (Yes, I have one – though the color is more navy blue than black). There are many variations to turn out a perfect sponge. I use the method which involves creaming the eggs and sugar and adding the melted fat in the end. Some people use oil instead of butter, but I always think butter makes everything better, so you know my leanings! You can eat the sponge cake like a Victorian Sandwich – jam and whipped double cream or use it for a rolled cake like a Swiss Roll. (The flexibility of a sponge cake allows us to roll it without breaking).  I have used it as a base for the popular English Trifle. Now the Trifle is nothing but a combination of layers of cake, custard, fruit and cream. But it is an impressive looking dessert to turn out! I use ready mix custard and jelly which saves me time. You can also go ahead and use a ready cake as the base of the trifle. (I won’t tell anyone!) But it’s so cost effective and easy to make at home, that I desist buying some from the bakery. Once you have all the ingredients, a trifle pudding is just assembly – though you have to wait a trifle between steps. Like George Savile said, “A man who is a master of Patience is a master of everything else”. (I don’t think he had a wife…’master of everything else’ ….hmph!) J

Fluffy Sponge Cake

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins

Serves: 4 (makes one 8X8 inch cake or two 20cm round cakes)

What you need:

4 eggs

¾ cup (165 gms) Caster Sugar

1 cup (150 gms) Flour

1 ½ tsp Baking Powder

½ tsp Salt

1 tablespoon Cornflour

10 gms (2 teaspoons) Butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup (80 ml) Hot Water

What to do:

Pre-heat oven to 180°C for a normal oven or 160°C for a fan-forced oven. Grease one 8x8 inch square cake pans, and line the base with baking paper. (Baking paper makes it easy to remove the sponge cake – other be prepared to lose large chunks to the pan).

Beat eggs in a bowl, using an electric mixer, for about 10 minutes, until thick and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until dissolved. Triple-sift flour, baking powder, salt and corn flour together and fold it into the egg mixture gently.  (Folding in flour and other ingredients can be tricky when you use a spoon or spatula, but you can use your fingers to pull the dry ingredients up and through the egg mixture).

Combine the melted butter and the water, pour it down the side of bowl and fold through gently

but thoroughly. Pour mixture into the pan and bake for about 25 minutes. Immediately turn out the sponges to cool, top-side up, onto a wire rack covered with baking paper. Cool and use as you please.  

Basic Trifle Pudding

What you need:

4 cups Vanilla Custard (Prepared from 500ml milk and 3-4 tbsp Custard packet mix)

2 cups Jelly (prepared from 1 packet – I used Rex)

2 cups fresh Cream whipped with 3 Tbsp Sugar

1 Sponge Cake Base

2 cups of mixed Fruit (strawberries, cherries, pineapples, apples, grapes)

What to do:

In a big glass bowl, layer the sponge cake at the base. Put the jelly in as the next layer. Now top with fruits. Pour custard over. (It's better if the custard is thick rather than runny...helps hold the trifle's shape better). Now lightly top with whipped cream. Decorate with fruit slices/ sprinkles. Ready to serve!

Note: You can also make individual portions of trifle, much easier to serve!

Green Goddess Frittata (Spinach, Broccoli and Mushroom)

Frittata is a variation of an omelette and is derived from the Italian word fritto meaning to fry. The difference between an omelette and frittata are four fold. (A) Ingredients are combined with the beaten egg mixture before cooking, unlike an omelette where its tossed on top before the omelette is fully cooked. (B) The mixture is cooked over a very low heat, but for a longer period of time (10-15 mins) compared to an omelette (4-5 mins). (C) The frittata is not folded over like an omelette, but grilled briefly to set the top (D) and finally a frittata is for sharing, unlike an omelette which is a one person dish. So after getting all technical on you, I’d like to conclude by saying – it tastes just like a fat, fancy omelette or a baseless quiche. Both of which are fully acceptable and appreciated with gusto in my home. I would serve the frittata cold with some toasted baguettes for a fuss free lunch. It’s also a great option to lug around for a picnic. I call this one Green Goddess – with Spinach, broccoli and mushroom, how could I have not?

Spinach, Mushroom and Broccoli Frittata

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serves: 2-3

What you need:

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

80 gms Broccoli florets, chopped

200 gms Button Mushrooms, sliced

2 cups Spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

6 eggs

A splash of soy sauce

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese

What to do:

Heat the oil in a large non stick frying pan. Add the mushrooms and broccoli and cook over a high heat s, stirring, for about 7 mins. Add the spinach and sauté for 1-2 mins. Lower the heat, do not let the spinach wilt.

Break the eggs into a bowl, season with salt, pepper and soy and beat well. Pour over the veggie mix in the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 mins. As the eggs set, lift the frittata with a spatula and tilt the pan so that the uncooked egg runs underneath. Repeat till the whole frittata looks set.

When the eggs are set sprinkle with grated parmesan and place the pan under the grill. (about 4 inches from the heat). Cook for 1-2 mins or until the top is golden brown and firm when pressed. Cut into quarters and serve with freshly toasted and buttered baguettes and a nice glass of wine.

Note 1 : Use a frying pan that can be placed in the oven as well. Or else you need to transfer the frittata into an oven proof dish to grill the top.

Note 2: Non Veggie Option: Reduce the olive oil to 1 Tbsp and add 60 gms of diced bacon and sauté the veggies in the bacon fat. Omit the soy sauce, as the bacon will provide the requisite saltiness.

Strawberry Griddle Cakes for a Fancy Breakfast

Yes, I know it’s another recipe with strawberries back to back. But I have so many in my fridge that I need to use them and use them in innovative ways! (lest the co-resident realize my evil plan of ‘waste to wealth’). I have a supermarket weakness. If something looks fresh, is in season and the store has a buy one get one free offer – I’m hooked. Rest assured, I will be carting loads of it back home! Come on now, who doesn’t like a good bargain? Thankfully Strawberries are such accommodating fruit that you can pair them with almost anything and achieve success. Now coming to Griddle cakes. First of all, don’t let the name take you on a wild goose chase. Another name for a frying pan is a griddle and griddle cakes are nothing but pancakes that are just a little firmer. So you can call them Strawberry pancakes if you please… but I much prefer the fancier sounding name. (Fools the co-resident into thinking he’s getting something radical to chew on!) I served the Griddle cakes with some strawberries in wine instead of the routine ‘drizzle the pancake syrup on’. And since that means I’m having wine for breakfast, it automatically becomes a fancy brekkie! (Ok, so I have low expectations…Sue me!)

Strawberry Griddle Cakes with Strawberries steeped in Wine

Prep time: 30 mins + cooling time

Serves: 4

What you need:

125 gms self raising Flour

1 pinch Cinnamon and Salt

½ tsp Baking Powder

30 gms Castor Sugar

1 Egg

1 Lemon, juice of

125 ml Milk

150 gms fresh Strawberries, diced

Salted Butter

For the Strawberries in Wine:

200ml Rose Wine

1 tsp Vanilla essence

50 gms Castor Sugar

200 gms fresh Strawberries, sliced

What to do:

To make the Strawberries in Wine: Heat the wine and sugar in a large pan until the sugar dissolves. Bring the liquid to a boil toss in the strawberries, take off the heat. Add the vanilla essence, cover the pan and set aside for the fruit to steep in the liquid until cool.

To make the griddle cakes: Sift the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar. Make a well in the center and tip in the egg, milk and lemon juice to make a batter. Add the diced strawberries to the mix. Mix well till small bubbles appear on the surface of the batter.

Heat a non stick frying pan and add a little salted butter. Add spoonfuls of the batter to the pan to make small thick pancakes. Cook on medium heat until bubbles start to appear on the surface of the griddle cakes – about 2 or 3 mins. Flip and continue to cook for another 2-3 mins. Repeat with the rest. Serve warm with the wine steeped strawberries.

Note: If cooking in batches, keep the cooked ones warm in a low oven while you finish the rest.

Ham, Bacon and Green Apple Quiche

So today has been a frustrating day. I made a cheese cake which did not set and made a Mexican Chicken Mole which had too much cinnamon! And on a hot day tempers can flare everywhere! Clearly some days are not for culinary adventure or rather just any culinary venture. Every woman who rushes home from work and still wants to whip up a fancy meal a la Nigella, is living in a dream world if she doesn’t have failsafe recipes to fall back on! It’s times like these that I have even more reverence for a good recipe, a blogger who tests the recipe and finally a book that publishes only tried and tested recipes. That is why you can be rest assured I am not putting up dubious recipes on my blog. I don’t want to inflict the pain of failure on anyone. (No, seriously, that’s how it feels when a recipe screws up!) So it’s with supreme confidence that I am posting the Ham, Bacon and Green Apple recipe. It worked liked a charm, tasted supremely good and was a breeze to make. Now who doesn’t want that in their repertoire?

Ham, Bacon and Green Apple Quiche

(Recipe adapted from BBC Good Food India, Jan 2012)

Prep time: 20 mins

Baking time: 25 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

8 Ham slices

8 Bacon slices

½ Green Apple, halved and sliced

2 Eggs

200ml Cream (I used Amul)

1 large Onion, sliced

A pinch of Nutmeg

1 cup dried Breadcrumbs

50 gms Butter, salted

6 Sage leaves, chopped finely

Handful of grated parmesan

Salt and Pepper to taste

What to do:

Put the breadcrumbs and softened butter in a food processor and mix till you get wet pasty crumbs. Now empty the contents into a 8 or 9 inch flan/pie dish and press the mixture to coat the bottom and sides. Pat down with your fingers to get an even layer and use your knuckles to push the mixture into the sides. Cover with cling film and toss into the refrigerator to chill while you make the quiche mixture.

Stack the ham slices up and cut into large squares. Chop the Bacon into strips and cut the apple and onion into slices. Add the bacon to a large skillet and sauté over low heat to render the fat. Cook until the bacon just begins to crisp. Now add the onions and sauté in the bacon fat, then add the apple slices and sauté till both turn translucent.

Add the cream and bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Remove the skillet from the fire and let it cool for a few minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. In the meantime, beat the eggs. Now add the eggs to the skillet and mix well into the sauce. Take the pie dish out of the fridge. It should look dry. Pour the contents of the skillet into the baking dish and sprinkle sage leaves on top. Bake at 180°C for 20 mins in the center rack of the oven. Now remove from the oven, sprinkle grated parmesan on top and return to bake for another 5 mins till the crust looks golden brown.

Serve hot immediately or chill overnight, cut into neat wedges and serve at room temperature or warm. I served mine with a nice green salad with balsamic dressing for a fantastic mid week meal!

Anda Raita and the Art of Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

Two opposites do not make a whole or so said some really intellectual dude. The reason why that strikes me when I made this was because I could never see a dish with eggs and yoghurt as the only star ingredients. (Unless… it was a face mask!) But there are always certain days in the calendar when the same old same old bore you to death and you want to try something radical  different! In my life those days are most days and I am willing to throw down the gauntlet of doubt in the face of strange culinary pursuits. (I know that’s dramatic but it’s a Sunday so allow me my self expression!) My guise was, I’ll keep the yoghurt separate and just ease one boiled egg into it to check for taste. Prototype A. If that passes quality check (i.e. my tongue) the rest of the eggs can join the party. So was the experiment successful? Let’s make that rhetorical. Would I post on the blog if the experiment was not successful? :P Serve this as an accompaniment to biryani or by itself with some pita. So here it is my darlings… Anda/ Egg Raita - To shock and amuse your guests and finally tickle those taste buds into taking a risk.  

Anda Raita/ Egg Raita
(Recipe from Miss Masala)

Prep time: 20 mins

Serves: 6

What you need:

6 hard boiled Eggs

750 gms Yoghurt (I use Nestle set dahi)

3 Tbsp Oil

½ tsp Asefodita/ hing

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Mustard seeds

½ tsp Turmeric powder

4 dried long Red Chillies

10 Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves to garnish

What to do:

Cut the boiled eggs into half, set aside. Whisk the yoghurt till you get a lovely creamy consistency. Pour the yoghurt into the serving bowl and slide the eggs into it, yolk side up. Now you need to temper the yoghurt. Pour the oil into a small pan, set over high heat. When the oil is hot, lower the heat and then add in the mustard and cumin seeds. Wait for the mustard to splutter. Quickly add in the chillies, turmeric and curry leaves and watch it sizzle. Take it off the heat immediately and tip over into the bowl of yoghurt and eggs. Ta da!

How to get perfect hard boiled Eggs?

What's a Hard boiled egg? a. The yolk should not be runny but just solidified, b. the yolk should not be rubbery and c. The yolk should retain a bright yellow colour and not get discolored around the edges. Room temperature eggs always work best for this. Also older the eggs the better they hard boil. Place the eggs in a pan. Fill with water till it just covers the eggs. Bring the water to a boil slowly. Now reduce the heat and let it simmer for 2 mins. Now turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid and set aside for 15-18 mins. (Don’t ask me why 18 and not 20…this is a result of a lot of scientific experimentation). Now no peeking at all till the time is done. Seriously. Go read a book if you can’t resist being impatient! After 18 mins, pour out the hot water and refill with cold water. Count to a fifty. (just kidding now!). Then peel the eggs. There you have it -Perfectly hard boiled eggs!  

Note: You can store the boiled eggs within the shell in the fridge to be reused later. Please ensure you consume them wiithin 3-4 days.

Tuna and Egg Salad Sandwich

Some days you are just so lazy that the only option to a fulfilling meal = a Maggi. I have no shame in admitting that the choice for a meal for one, when the co-resident is away is to shove my face with the noodles in front of the telly. Their byline does it for me – Ready in 2 minutes. It’s another matter that its 400 calories of zero nutrition! (I still love you though, my darling Maggi Noodles!) What can I say, old habits die hard! One sunny Saturday afternoon (that’s when laziness is at its peak), I reached into the store cupboard for my customary lazy meal when … Gasp! I had run out of Maggi. Now the paramount rule of laziness restricts me from getting dressed to go to the store down the road to buy one. So my brain had to think of an alternative which would be ready in two minutes. That’s when I made my Tuna and Egg Salad Sandwich! (Well technically two minutes for the assembly, as I already had boiled eggs). Also this one packs in loads of the good stuff – salad leaves, eggs, tuna. A high protein healthy lunch, if you ever needed one! I can feel myself getting leaner already ;)

Tuna and Egg Salad Sandwich

Prep time: 5 mins

Grilling time: 5 mins

Serves: 2

What you need:

8 slices of Bread (use wholegrain, if you want to up the health quotient)

200 gms can of Tuna in water, drained

4 hard boiled Eggs, sliced

4 Tbsp Mayo

2 cups Mixed Salad leaves

For the Vinaigrette:

3 Tbsp Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp white wine Vinegar

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

What to do:

Put all the vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar, close the lid and shake well until blended. Pour over the salad leaves and mix to combine.

Spread a Tbsp of Mayo on one slice. Place a generous quantity of salad on the other. Top with the tuna and egg slices. Season with salt and pepper. Sandwich together. Repeat for the other three sandwiches.

Lightly spray a heated grill pan with some oil and press the sandwich down for about a 45 seconds per side till it looks golden and toasty. Alternatively use a sandwich maker. Sit down to enjoy a happy meal!

Masala Fried Fish with Salad Nicoise-ish

If there is a French person reading this, I apologize for turning a perfectly authentic salad on its head. If there is a person on a diet reading this, I apologize for luring you in here with a salad and then saying it’s topped with ‘fried’ fish. The original recipe calls for tuna, which I replace with fried sear fish. (Go ahead and grill yours, if you want to be on the safe side of the scales). I also omit boiled green beans and add fried croutons instead for crunch. (Blasphemy, I know). At this stage you might understand why I called it ‘Nicoise-ish’. Should I have just called it ‘fusion food’? Or should I have called it ‘things I like to eat’? Like Shakespeare said, ‘a rose by any other name would smell as sweet'. Now, who are we mere mortals to argue with that kinda logic, right? It’s a fantastic meal in one and looks so freaking amazing. That said, I love this version of Salad Nicoise (Nee-sh-wah) more than the original! Gasp Gasp :P.

Masala Fried Fish with Salad Nicoise

Prep time: 15 mins

Marinating time: 1 hr

Cooking time: 15 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

For the Masala fried fish:

4 steaks (400 gms) Sear Fish/ any white fish (1 inch thickness)

½ tsp Turmeric

2 Tbsp Chili Powder (or according to taste)

½ tsp Ginger Garlic paste

Salt

Oil for frying

For the Salad Nicoise:

1 big Cos Lettuce, (rinsed and well dried)torn into shreds

4 Tomatoes, chopped

3/4th cup sliced Black Olives

4 hard Boiled eggs

1 Onion, finely sliced

2 slices old bread, cut and fried into croutons (use the same oil as the fried fish for awesome flavour)

For the Vinaigrette:

3 Tbsp Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp white wine Vinegar

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

What to do:

First of all, don’t be alarmed by the list of ingredients. It’s just assembly. Artful tossing together. Starting with the fried fish. Make a thick paste with turmeric, salt, ginger garlic paste and chili (add as much heat as you can take, but be advised that extra chili powder tends to blacken the fish and leave debris in the cooking oil). Marinate the fish steaks by rubbing the paste on both sides of the fish. Set aside. Add all the vinaigrette items into a bottle and give it a good shake till it looks like everything is homogenously incorporated. Keep cool in the fridge.

Heat oil to just below smoking point, put in the fish steaks and immediately lower the heat. Fry for 4 mins on each side. The extra masala will settle to the bottom of the pan. Drain and keep warm.

Wash the lettuce and pat the leaves dry. (Or use a salad drier). Toss in the rest of the ingredients (tomatoes, onions, olives) accordingly. Toss over the vinaigrette (Approx. 1 Tbsp per plate), just before serving to avoid the lettuce leaves becoming limp. Divide among four plates with one boiled egg per person. Place the fried fish in the center and serve with pride. Dig in with absolute abandon!

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

Here’s a tricky one. The recipe uses raw eggs. Don’t freak out, I’ve been relishing carbonara for many years and I still live to tell the tale. The reason I said it was tricky is because of the technique. You need to keep everything hot, so that when you add the eggs at the end, they just cook in the residual heat but do not scramble. Otherwise we would have scrambled eggs with spaghetti – not the best combo! That said, it’s the quickest and yummiest thing you can have with pasta. Also when the final result tastes like restaurant goodness in under ten minutes, your guests are sure going to sing praises of your effortless magic. Shall we say Nigella style? (It helps if you wear lipstick! Wink wink ;)

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

450gms Spaghetti

1 Tbsp Olive oil

225gms rindless pancetta or lean bacon, chopped

4 Eggs

5 Tbsp light Cream

3 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground Pepper

What to do:

Bring a large heavy bottomed pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, return to a boil and cook according to time instructions on the packet. The spaghetti should be tender but still firm to the bite. Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottom skillet. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently – 8 to 10 mins. Beat the eggs with the cream in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pan. Tip in the contents of the skillet, then add the egg mixture and half the parmesan cheese. Stir well, then transfer to a warmed serving dish. Serve immediately sprinkled with the remaining cheese.

Classic Bacon and Egg Salad Sandwich

It’s called classic because it’s a timeless combination. Bacon and Eggs. I could actually have an entire blog dedicated to the dishes you could dish out of this very combination. But we don’t want to be biased now, do we ;) ?  New question… why do I need a separate blog post for the simplest of sandwiches? Because my friends it’s the little things that matter and this recipe has all the little things that will transform a slap dash sandwich into the classic it is. For a hint – it’s Mustard. Not convinced? Ok, Parsley. Still not convinced? Ok its mustard and parsley and mayo. Trust me, the combo works like a charm!

Classic Bacon and Egg Sandwich

Prep time: 10 mins

Makes 2 sandwiches

What you need:
2 rashers rindless Bacon
2 hard boiled Eggs
1 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp finely chopped flat leaf Parsley
Salt and freshly ground Black pepper
Butter or Margarine
4 slices Milk or other White Bread

What to do:
Grill bacon or fry in a dry non-stick pan until crisp. Allow to cool, then chop. Chop up eggs and mash with the mayonnaise, mustard and parsley. Stir bacon pieces through and season with salt and pepper.
Lightly butter bread, spread egg mixture on two slices and top with remaining bread.

P.S. This sandwich is also tasty when toasted. Or if you please, you can ditch the bread and have it as an Egg Salad instead!

Fluffy Cheese Omlette

One of the most satisfying things you can have for brekkie is a nice cheese omelette. (Yes…I like this spelling in comparison to the plain old ‘omelet’). Its feels decadent but it’s very healthy, And it’s definitely more inspiring than just plain toast and orange juice. No kidding, but a cheese omelette is considered special breakfast in my place. I always make it when my sister spends the night at my place and we have lazy conversations over it the next morning. Whip it up on any day in under 5 mins and I ensure it will sit pretty and happy in your stomach till lunch break.

Fluffy Cheese Omelette

Prep time: 2 mins

Cooking time: 5 mins

Serves: 1

What you need:

2 Med Eggs

1 Tbsp Water

25gm/ 1 cube of Cheese (Cheddar)

A dash of Butter

Salt and freshly ground Pepper

What to do:

Ensure the eggs are at room temperature. Crack them open into a bowl, add a tablespoon of water and whisk to get some air into the mixture and till the white and yellows are nicely blended. (NOT stiff!) Heat a non stick pan. Smear some butter to grease the pan. Pour the egg mixture in. Reduce the heat to low. Let the eggs just start to set. Grate the cheese onto one half of the omlette. When the egg looks about set, fold the non cheese part over the cheese half, so that you have a nice semi circle. Pat the edges down so that it seals the contents in. Wait till it starts to fluff up (30 secs). Season with salt and pepper. Now slide the omlette into a plate and enjoy a sunny morning!! 

Savoury Cheese Souffle

Featured in Zomato's monthly newsletter CRUNCH - 23rd Nov 2011. http://www.zomato.com/crunch/cheese-souffle/

Souffle means breath or to take ones breath away. I was definitely holding my breath when I waited for it to rise in the oven. After which I was so proud of my fluffly soufflé that I moved around it in circles to figure out the right angle for the shot. That’s when I realized that a soufflé is called so because it takes one big breath and then releases it. Once out of the oven I saw the steam escaping from my soufflé and I lost some steam as well. (But I read that a soufflé holds its shape for only 3-4 mins… so that’s some balm for my wounded ego). Before making the effort, you need to ask yourself the question… “Will you appreciate a subtle dish?, Can you dive into the meal at break neck speed? Will you be happy with a really small portion? (The French I tell you!)”. If the answer to all these questions is a resounding YES… then, please proceed to make this rather finicky dish. Finicky because - you need to get the quantities bang on, the temperature just right, the eggs whipped just so and finally you need to wear roller skates to ensure you can get the soufflé from the oven to the dining table before it collapses. I’m not against all the drama that accompanies this dish…(I actually do like to make a production of my dinner), but save it for a lazy, rainy day.

Cheese Souffle

Prep time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins

Serves: 4 (Five 250 ml ramekins/ 1.25 ltr soufflé dish)

What you need:

1 ¼ cups (300 ml) Milk

1 Bay leaf

A few parsley stems

½ Onion peeled

Pinch of Cayenne pepper

Salt and black pepper

3 Tbsp Butter, plus extra for greasing

3 Tbsp All purpose Flour

3 Eggs, separated

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 Cup (125 gm) Sharp Cheddar Cheese

What to do:

Bring the milk to a boil in the saucepan, with the bay leaf, parsley stems and onion half. Remove from the heat, cover and let it infuse for about 20 mins. Strain, then add the cayenne, then season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large pan, add the flour and cook, stirring for one minute. Remove from the heat, slowly blend in the milk, then bring to a boil. Simmer, for 2-3 mins, stirring until thickened. Remove from the heat and let it cool for about 10 mins.

Beat the egg yolks in a bowl. Stir them into the cooled white sauce, then stir in the mustard and all but 2 Tbsp of the Cheddar. Whisk the egg whites until they will hold firm but not dry peaks. Fold 1-2 Tbsp egg whites into the cheese mixture until evenly combined, then fold in the remaining whites.

Lightly butter the soufflé dish. Pour in the soufflé mixture and sprinkle with the reserved cheese. Set on a preheated baking sheet and bake near the top of the preheated oven at 180°C for about 25 mins or until just risen and just set in the middle. Serve – at once!!