Marinara Sauce - My way

Have you ever had something that you knew was perfect your way? No matter what the textbooks, teachers, experts or even old aunties claimed? Well in my case, many things fall in this category including this Marinara sauce. Now this is not blind faith - it’s a belief system that has evolved over many painstaking trial and error sessions. It is also a result of the fact that international recipes sometimes call for ingredients that are not readily available here. Or plain and simple – you try to make the best of the ingredients that ARE available to you! If that means cutting open a packet of Dabur Tomato Puree in the final stages and finishing the sauce with some Maggi Hot and Sweet sauce – then so be it! The final results are a fantastically chunky sauce with a robust tomato and garlic flavor. Dress it with some good quality olive oil and you’ve beaten the store bought sauces 10-1. With odds like this, ‘my way’ seems a lot more comfortable than the highway no?

Guacamole - Mexican Avacado Dip

Guacamole (gwaka – mo – lee) is part of Mexican cuisine that originated with the Aztecs. It essentially means a sauce (mole) made with ahucatyl (avocado). Its popularity spiked with American football games and now it’s a household dip of choice in America! India is just warming up to the idea of guacamole as Mexican cuisine gains popularity. When I was a little kid, my dad used to mash up avocados with sugar and we used to enjoy them chilled. We called it Butter Fruit Ice Cream J So I am already a big fan!

I love guacamole but it is really difficult to make. The difficulty arises not in the process but in the sourcing of ripe avocados. There have been more than a dozen times that I have come home happy with avocados and then been a grouch when I cut into them and realized they are unripe or a brown slimy mess! And seriously there are no failsafe options to figure this out. Every time I cut into an unripe avocado, I have rushed back to the computer and trawled Google for an answer. Wrap it in a brown paper bag to ripen it…store it with ripe bananas to get it soft…place it on a hot oven to ripen it…let the outer skin turn brown…let it rest in a cool dark place…so on and so forth! But none of these things have helped and I continue to be sorely disappointed every time I have to throw a fruit away (and they don’t come cheap!).

This time the story as usual repeated itself. I looked at one fruit – it looked suitably ripe (slightly yielding in some places). I cut it open – voila, perfect avocado. My guacamole was going to be made! Then with the spiked confidence, I cut into the other one and as soon as I slipped my knife in – I knew it was a lost cause. Hard, unyielding fruit! (You get a tummy ache if you eat unripe avocados) You win some you lose some right? Sigh…

P.S. Found this tip later on the net. Check for ripeness by gently pressing on the outside of the avocado. If there is no give, the avocado is not ripe and will not taste good. If there is a little give, the avocado is ripe. If there is a lot of give, the avocado may be past its prime and not good. In this case, taste test before using.  

Cannellini Bean Dip

Featured in Tastespotting.com on 5th Dec 2012

Featured in Foodgawker.com on 5th Dec 2012

If you ever get bored of eating hummus (highly unlikely) this dip will easily fill the void. And ‘easily’ is the key word here. It takes all of 5 mins to whip this up and you can flaunt it around in your guest’s faces as some exotic dish. Unless of course, the guest happens to be my Mom. In that case, the story will differ. She will just take a whiff of it and declare with uber confidence that – ‘it’s just a form of Rajma… white in this case’ – chapter closed. All tales of how you bought it from GNB and paid 150 rupees for a 400gm can will vanish from memory because you don’t want to be cut down to size! The next debate will clearly be on why I eat such ‘processed’ food when I can just head down to the market in the morning and pick up some fresh organic stuff. And the final closing argument will be – No wonder this generation lacks energy to do anything and will all die young due to some lifestyle disease. Poof! Ok, leaving all elderly ranting (she will kill me) aside, this dip is easy to make, tastes great and is perfect for some crisps, pita or even vegetable crudités. Case closed.

Red and Green Coconut Chutneys for Idlis or Dosa

Featured in Tastespotting.com on 18th Sep 2012

I was the kind of South Indian kid who always liked her Dosas more than her Idlis. The crispy buttery pancake always made my mouth water a lot more than the healthier alternative – The Idli. The only place I would crave an Idli was this little cart near Commercial Street. There are more than a dozen idli sellers with similar wares in and around the area but I always gravitated to this one. The reason was simple – the chutney’s! This man made the most awesome red and green chutney’s to go along with the idli’s. People would queue up in front of his cart from 7:00 pm upto 9:00 pm. His stock would never last beyond that! The whole exercise of ordering in this place is an art – of War! You jostle through the crowd to reach a point where he can actually see your face and hear you. Then you scream out your order (no dilly dallying) and squirm your way out of the crowd. Then you keep looking at the guy who plates the idli’s to confirm whether it’s your turn. He will look at you and the slightest nod in your direction would signify that you can come collect your wares. Of course many people will still attempt to move up the crowd and convince him that it’s their plate, so you need to elbow them out of the way and take what’s rightfully yours. I always go back for second (and third) helpings of the chutney. People around are definitely not tolerant of an Idli holding person moving up the order crowd again, but a girls got to do what a girls got to do! The Idli Plater grudgingly dishes out the smallest portion of the second round of chutney’s (after all Coconut’s don’t come cheap these days!) When you are finally done eating, you dispose of the banana leaf (your plate) and pay your bill and smile till your jaws ache!

Now, my version of the Red and Green Coconut Chutneys can never parallel his, but it will definitely add zing to your Idli or Dosa in the morning! J

Quick Hummus for Easy Entertaining...

Featured in Tastespotting.com on 26th Sep 12

While the quickest Hummus would be a store bought variety, it’s not essentially the tastiest. At the other end of the spectrum is the completely home made Hummus which is super yuumy but so time consuming (with the overnight soaking of the chickpea and then boiling blah blah blah), that it takes the joy out of entertaining. Ok, I’m exaggerating, but I’ve never been a fan of being a slave to the kitchen. Give me quick, easy and tasty any day! So I’ve found a happy median with this recipe. I use canned chickpea and tahini paste and blend the rest of the ingredients in! It’s super simple and tastes 100% better than the store bought one. And I also have the satisfaction that I churned it out myself. (At least MOST of it)! J

Tzatziki - Cucumber Yoghurt Dip from Greece

It’s pronounced zad-zi-ki, in case you were wondering. I do have a penchant for strange sounding names, they intrigue me and force me to delve deeper into them. And this dip is something that you want to dive deep into. Especially on a hot summer day! It’s really refreshing and cooling and goes fabulously with vegetable crudités or grilled meat. After making it, I served it with some olives and toasted pita for a mezze like feel. And announced with a flourish that the Tzatziki was served! Mom took a look at it and declared that it was not really that exotic or strange, actually it reminded her of the ubiquitous Indian raita or pachadi! Nothing like ‘experience’ to throw water on someone’s excitement! (hmph!). I of course brushed the comment aside with a cool wave of the hand and grumbled that she was closed to experimenting with new cuisines (all the while knowing that I had lost the battle!). So in essence, yes it does look and feel like pachadi and maybe the Greeks were our distant cousins and swapped recipes. (one global village huh?) But that doesn’t take away from the fact that its bloody delicious and makes for one fabulous dip!

Tzatziki

Prep time: 20 mins + refrigeration

Makes: 2 cups

What you need:

2 med Cucumbers

500 gms thick Yoghurt (I use Nestle set dahi)

4 cloves Garlic, crushed

1 tsp finely chopped Dill

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Salt and Freshly ground Black Pepper

To serve:

Vegetable crudites

Olives

2 Pita Breads

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

What to do:

Wash, peel and cut the cucumber in half. Scoop out the seeds. Now grate the cucumber coarsely and spoon into a strainer. (Do this to remove the water from the cucumber. Collect the cucumber juice and reserve – I made a fabulous cocktail with it later. Recipe in next post). After you are fairly certain that you have pressed out as much water from the cucumber as possible – press into strainer again. Surprised? Yes there will still be some more cucumber juice you can extract. (I got 400ml of gorgeous green cucumber juice from 2 cucumbers). Now the grated cucumber is ready to go into the dip. (Note: You can also strain the yoghurt to make the dip creamier).

In a medium bowl add the cucumber, yoghurt, dill, garlic and olive oil and mix well. Cover and refrigerate till use. (Some people leave it overnight to develop the flavor). My impatience reduced overnight to till I toasted the pita bread …. The dip tasted fine!

Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut through the center of the pita bread. Brush the rough sides with olive oil. Now cut each circle into 8 wedges. Bake bread on ungreased tray for 10-15 mins or until crisp. Serve with olives and tzatziki!

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.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Pesto

When we think of pesto the first thing that comes to mind is the Basil pesto. But pesto has now become a generic term for anything that is made by pounding ingredients in a mortar and pestle. So the original form – the basil one, is now called Pesto alla Genovese. (That will always remain my favourite, but I am not won’t of trying other versions to increase my repertoire of dishes.) The other popular one’s are the Red bell pepper pesto and the Sun dried tomato pesto. I always work with what I have in the fridge at any given point in time – and yes Bell peppers it was. Pestos as you know are super easy to make and keep well in the fridge under a layer of olive oil. So it’s always wise to make more than you need and pack away the rest in the fridge. When one dish has more than a couple of uses, it climbs the ladder of success pretty fast. (i.e. I make it more often and stash it in the fridge – Don’t you think that’s the epitome of success for an ingredient? :P) I use this one on baguette’s as a spread, as a dip for taco’s or toasted lavash and crudites and as an easy sauce for pasta. So keep this one handy – to impress your guests or to fill your belly on a hungry jam packed weeknight.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Pesto

Prep time: 5 mins

Roasting time: 20-25 mins

Makes: 1 cup

What you need:

3 large Red Bell Peppers, seeded and cut into eights

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

3 large Garlic cloves

½ cup Cashews lightly toasted

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

¼ cup fresh Basil

Salt and freshly ground Black pepper to taste

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Place the bell peppers on a lined baking tray and brush lightly with a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins., turning once or twice till the skin is blackened. (I use the top rack). Remove from oven, place in a ziplock bag (or bowl and cover with plastic film). When the capsicum has cooled, peel off the skins. (The zip lock bag helps seal in the moisture and helps in removing the skins easily.)

Place the roasted cashews, peppers, remaining oil and the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend to a paste. (I like it a bit chunky).

Store in the fridge, in an airtight container. (A layer of olive oil on top helps store it longer).

P.S. I topped my pasta with 2 Tbsps of the pesto and some grilled Red pepper slices. Yum.

Babaganoush

So what exactly is Babaganoush? (Ba-ba-ga-nuj). Sounds exotic I know - Like a word that twirls around in your mouth and takes you to some strange colorful dream in the Arabian nights. Well, Babaganoush is a Lebanese dip, a cousin of my favorite dip – Hummus. The hero of this recipe is the lovely aubergine/eggplant. The eggplant is broiled/roasted over an open flame before peeling and mashing, so that the pulp has a nice smokey taste which is characteristic of this dip. The process is very similar to cooking our Baingan ka Barta in India. We mix it with tomatoes, garlic and onion paste and eat it with rotis or naan. The Lebanese mix it with Tahini and lemon juice and eat it with pita. It’s a small world! But the end result either way - is a glorious, smokey, silky pate that has everyone begging for more.  

Babaganoush

Prep time: 15 mins

Resting time: 10 mins

Makes: 8 servings

What you need:

1 big Eggplant
¼ cup Tahini (roasted white sesame paste)
¾ tsp Coarse Salt
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
3 cloves Garlic (smashed)
¼ tsp Chili powder
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
To Serve:
Some yoghurt, more lemon juice and half a bunch Cilantro, chopped
Pita bread/ Crackers

What to do:

Prick the eggplant with a fork in a couple of places or make 4-5 long slits on the sides with a knife. Char the outside of the eggplant by placing it directly on the flame of a gas burner and as the skin chars, turn it until the eggplant is uniformly-charred on the outside. 10-15 mins is smokey enough for most people. Remove, put it in a ziplock (to preserve the smokiness) or cover with a damp tissue and let it cool. Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. Puree the pulp in a blender with the other ingredients (except the lemon juice & salt). Taste and season with the salt and lemon juice. Chill for a few hours before serving. (Babaganoush keeps well for 4-5 days in the fridge).

Just before serving, mix in some yoghurt (I use 1 Tbsp for 5 Tbsps of Babganoush), garnish with a dash of olive oil and some freshly chopped cilantro. Serve with toasted pita bread or crackers.

P.S. I smothered some on my freshly baked bread, topped with some olives and thoroughly enjoyed myself!

The world's best Hot Wings!

I know people exaggerate when they say something is the world’s best. You’re thinking, a.Their world is really small or b. They have false ideas of grandeur. I have fallen prey to both statements many many times, but (and this is a big BUT) Not this time!!! Firstly, I can say with conviction that if there is a restaurant I have visited and they list hot wings on the menu – I have tried it. And I eat out very often. So my world of hot wings is not small. Secondly, I am in no way partial to any food, so if something blows my mind – it firmly earns it’s place in my heart and taste buds! As these Hot Wings satisfy the above criteria – they are, according to me (and my entire clique of hungry friends and family) The World’s Best Hot Wings!

 Hot Wings/ Buffalo Wings

Prep + Marinating time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 20 mins

Makes: 20 wings

What you need:

3/4 cup All Purpose Flour

1 tsp Salt

½ tsp Garlic Powder

1 ½ tsp Chili Powder/ Cayenne Pepper

 ½ tsp Black Pepper Powder

20 Chicken Wing segments

Oil for Frying

For ¾ Cup Hot Sauce:

4 Tbsp Ketchup

3 Tbsp Sirachara Hot sauce (or any other Hot Sauce)

½ Tbsp Tabasco

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

¼ cup Butter

1 Tbsp Coarsely ground Black Pepper

What to do:

Wash fresh wings in water, split them at the joints and remove the wing tips. (If you buy 10 whole wings, you get 20 pieces and 10 wing tips to discard). Place them on a wire rack and refrigerate for 2 hrs. (The step is optional, but I’ve noticed it makes the wings crispier.) In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt, garlic, chilli and the black pepper powder. Coat chicken pieces entirely in flour mixture and refrigerate for a further hour.

My quantities for hot sauce can be varied within each element according to desired heat, as long as the total amount equals ¾ cup. The key however is the fat to hot sauce ratio which is 1:3. One part butter to 3 parts hot sauce. This is what gives it a glossy amalgamated feel.

In a saucepan, heat hot sauce with the knob of butter, just until the butter melts. Add crushed pepper and mix well. Keep warm.

Dip the chicken in flour again, dust off. Deep fry the chicken for 13 mins 8-10 mins, till nice and crispy and golden brown. Drain chicken on wire rack for 30 secs, then immediately toss fried chicken in hot sauce and remove. Let is stand for 5-6 mins. Garnish with some more crushed pepper. Serve with some cold beer! Its gonna rock your world.

P.S. For the Bangaloreans – This tastes like the hot wings in Millers 46 (if not better!!)

Penne with Bell Peppers Roman Style

I had two lovely yellow bell peppers in my fridge. After four days of racking my brains to come up with a mind blowing recipe, I chickened out. I could not see them go to waste for my lack of creative genius. Thanks to the gazillion cook books I own, (yes, I am cookbook cuckoo!) finding a recipe was a breeze. I would like you to believe that I put in considerable amount of effort picking and choosing just the right recipe, but the truth is I like a good gamble. So I closed my eyes and put my finger on the peppers list in the index! I give you here – Pasta with Peppers Roman Style. The Roman bit is because I had a crush on Julius Caesar. Ok, am playing with you now! Traditionally, tiny black wrinkled olives grown in the Lazio region of Italy are used in this roman dish. But I used Spanish olives. Oops! Don’t declare a war till you’ve tried it. iBuen Apetito!

Penne with Peppers Roman Style

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 35 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

1/3 cup Olive oil

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 cup Black Olives, pitted and coarsely chopped

400gms canned chopped Tomatoes, drained/ 500gms Tomatoes, blanched and chopped

2 Yellow/ Red Peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips

Salt and pepper

350gms dried Penne/ Fettucine

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve

What to do:

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pan. Add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins or until softened. Add the tomatoes, bell peppers and olives. Saute for 5 mins. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer over very low heat for 25 mins. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile bring a large heavy bottomed pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta return to a boil and cook according to instructions on the packet. Penne must be tender but with a bite. Drain ad transfer to a serving dish.

Spoon the sauce onto the pasta and toss well. Sprinkle generously with the parmesan and serve immediately, with extra grated parmesan.

Note: Green bell peppers are not recommended in this recipe as they are a little too sharp and do not provide enough contrast with the saltiness of the olives.

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.

Macaroni with Spicy Sausage Meat

So I bought some spicy sausage when I bought my bacon. It’s always the same routine. The co-resident will throw a fit if he knew that I came back from the deli one without the other. This sausage is really special, most likely not found outside Bangalore. It’s called the green masala sausage at the ‘Ham Shop’ on M.G. Road. The man’s been in business for decades and trust me he knows how to turn this one out to perfection. I’m pretty sure the sausage has coriander, chilies and pepper. And I’ve decided to not boggle my brains with deciphering the rest of the mix. You can substitute any other sausage for this recipe, but if you can head down to the Ham Shop nothing like it. (P.S. No, he did not pay me to write for him and No and I don’t think he needs any more publicity!)

Macaroni with Spicy Sausage Meat

Cooking time: 25 mins

Prep time: 15 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

400 gms Pasta

1 Tbsp Olive oil

1 large red Onion, very finely chopped

6-8 good quality pork Sausages (skin removed)

1 fresh medium-hot red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 small glass of dry White Wine

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Pinch of dried Oregano

150 ml hot Vegetable stock

300 ml Double Cream

Salt and freshly ground Black pepper

Handful of fresh flat leaf Parsley, finely chopped

What to do:

Place pasta in a pan of boiling salted water and cook until just tender. Drain, keep back a tiny amount of cooking water.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, and cook over a low heat for 5 mins or until soft and translucent. Chop up the sausage meat and add to the pan, using the back of a fork to break it up. Cook until they are no longer pink, about 5 mins. Add the chili and cayenne and stir. Raise the heat, add the wine and simmer for a few mins. Add the garlic and oregano and season well with salt and pepper. Pour in the stock and cream, bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins.

Toss the pasta with the sausage sauce, get your desired consistency with the cooking liquid. Garnish with parsley and serve hot. (Not cold, because the pork fat tends to get heavy when cold.)

Prawns in Garlic Butter

Like most seafood dishes this one is non fussy and just divine tasting. Well, the fate of anything doused in butter is sealed – the final result has to be Fantabulous! I use fresh prawns which I clean and devein myself… yes its fishy business, but somebody’s got to do it. Frozen prawns are fine as well, but it tends to be less juicy. Prawns can be just as easily substituted with mussels, lobster, crayfish or calamari. You can eat this as a starter or serve it on top of homemade fettuccine. Either way it’s a weekday winner. Well anything you can whip up in 10 minutes flat should be right??

Prawns in Butter Garlic
 
Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 5 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

400 gms Shrimp

4 Tbsp Butter

25-30 cloves Garlic

1 Tbsp Mustard paste

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

8-10 Peppercorns

A few sprigs Parsley

Salt (if needed)

What to do:

Wash and drain cleaned shrimps thoroughly. Chop parsley finely, keep aside. Crush peppercorns. Grind garlic to a rough paste. Heat butter in a pan with a dash of oil and fry garlic paste briefly. Add prawns, mustard paste, lemon juice, peppercorns and salt. Cook uncovered on low heat till the prawns are cooked. Add chopped parsley and remove from heat when the moisture dries up and serve hot.

Too good to be true Pesto

 What would you say, if I told you that I had the best Pesto recipe ever??!! Impossible right, cause I’m not even Italian, nor can I trace any of my roots to that hallowed land of food. (Ya, sometimes I dream I was Italian, eating their food everyday … bliss, bliss.) But I DO have the best pesto recipe. The result of trial, error, trial, error, consultation of many books and amalgamation of the best tips from the net – I give to you – Too Good to be True Pesto. I can’t even tell you it kicks store bought pesto’s ass because that would be like comparing a diamond to a piece of coal! I’m not claiming its authentic, I’m not even claiming that its by the book, but what it is, is heavenly green awesomeness that I could wrap my tongue around and ride off into the sunset with! Am I getting carried away? No, No, No… when you’ve found the holy grail of pesto’s wouldn’t you be shouting it out from the mountain tops? Here’s to my beloved Pesto – I love you, I do.  

Too Good to be True Pesto

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: Nil

Serves: 4 (for pasta)

What you need:

1/3 cup Pine Nuts/ Almonds (I like Almonds better)

2 cups fresh Basil leaves, finely packed

1/3 cup Olive Oil (good quality)

4 cloves Garlic (med)

1/3 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

40 gms Butter, softened

1/2 - 3/4th Tbsp Sea Salt, depending on taste
Freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

What to do:

Place almonds in a dry pan, stir under moderate heat till lightly toasted. Or microwave for 1 min, stir in-between once. Place in a food processor and give it a whir till you get small pieces. Add basil leaves, garlic and sea salt. Process for 20 secs or until you can still see micro mini pieces of the basil leaves. DO NOT process till pasty. For best results I would use a mortar and pestle, but on busy days the processor can be used intelligently. Transfer to a bowl. Add parmesan cheese, butter and pepper. Mix well. Now here’s the best bit - add ½ the olive oil and mix with the pesto. The remaining oil can be poured on top of the pesto. This protects the green color. Now sit and admire!

To serve with Pasta: Drain 500 gms of cooked pasta, (I’ve used whole wheat spaghetti) add the prepared pesto. (I go by three tsps per serving). Toss with more Olive Oil if required. Serve immediately. Sprinkle extra parmesan if you want to indulge.

Note: Pesto sauce can be made in large quantities for later use. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a week (covering it with a thin layer of olive oil preserves the color) if you keep in a glass jar with a well fitting lid.
If you want it to last longer, avoid mixing in the butter (as the butter can turn rancid). You can always mix in some fresh butter just before serving.

Pesto can also be stored in the freezer and will retain its color and flavor. Thaw in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before use.

Crumb Fried Fish with Lemon Mayonnaise

I made this as soon as I got back from my holiday, but posting it has taken me this long. You know how January is … tying up all the loose ends and brushing away all the lint from the previous year! Anyway I was lusting for some more seafood (The Lankan Hangover I like to call it!) and Fish and Chips always hits the spot. The recipe is so easy I would like to think a kindergarten kid could pull it off (except the frying bit which needs parental intervention). That doesn’t mean you start getting your kids to work in the kitchen…I wouldn’t want to be promoting child labor on this site now would I? Anyway they will be thanking you for this... it’s got a whole fast food aura to it, though you’ll always know its way healthier. Our little secret! 

Crumb Fried Fish with Lemon Mayonnaise

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

8 fillets of Sear/ White fish (800 gms in total)

1 Lemon (juice of)

2 Tbsp Mustard paste

1 tsp Salt

5 Tbsp Corn flour

2 med Eggs

11/2 cups Bread crumbs for coating

For the lemon mayonnaise:

6 Tbsp Mayonnaise

1Lemon (juice of) and rind grated

2 Tbsp Tify Relish

Parsley sprigs to garnish

What to do:

Marinate the fish fillets in lime juice, mustard and salt for 15 mins. Lay out three plates separately with cornflour, bread crumbs and beaten eggs. Heat the oil and check the termperature – a cube of bread should brown in 30 secs. Dip each fillet in corn flour, then in beaten egg an finally cost with bread crumbs. Keep aside on a wire rach for 5 mins. Fry in oil till golden brown. Drain on tissue. Serve with mayo, salad and chunky fries.

To make the Lemon Mayonnaise: Grate the rind of the lemon into the mayonnaise. Extract juice of the lemon and mix in along with the relish. Garnish with parsley.

Note: I served this with a fresh lettuce and red onion salad with a lemon, olive oil and sugar vinaigrette. Tangy goodness!!

 

Chicken Steak with Mushrooms in a Brown Sauce

This is the kind of steak I remember eating as a kid, when there were no fancy restaurants in Bangalore and Chicken pepper steak was a special treat. You will still get this type of food in a Tiffany’s or Juke Box, but other restaurants have upgraded to more sophisticated versions. I found this recipe on a homely site - wholesome food, no pretence. It sounded very similar to the days of yore, so I gave it a shot and here’s the result. (Sorry for the pictures, I was too hungry and dint bother about appropriate lighting!) The brown sauce is great, I salted it a bit too much though. So just add your seasoning at the end. And don’t forget to go back in time to some childhood foods you can never forget! Happy Reminiscing!

Chicken Steak with Mushrooms in Brown Sauce

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 40 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

 

4 X 200 gms Chicken breast pieces

Marinade:

1/2 tsp crushed Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Mustard paste

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp Garlic paste

2 Tbsp Oil

For Brown Sauce:

1 Tbsp Oil

2 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp Onion chopped

1 Tbsp Flour

1/2 tsp White pepper

1 Cup Chicken Stock (1/2 chicken cube in 1 cup water)

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

2 Onion sliced

8 pieces Mushrooms

What to do:

Wrap the meat piece in a wet tea towel and flatten with a hammer. Marinate the meat by rubbing black pepper, salt mustard, garlic paste and Worcestershire sauce on each meat piece.

To make Brown Sauce: In a pan add 1 Tbsp Butter and add a little oil. Add chopped onions and lightly brown. Add flour, white pepper, salt and chicken stock. Add burnt sugar syrup - 1 Tbsp.

To make Fried Onions: In a separate frying pan, add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 tsp oil. Add sliced onions and 1 Tbsp brown sugar and sauté. Add 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce.

To cook the Meat: In another grill/frying pan, add 2 tbs of Oil and add the meat. While frying drizzle a little Worcestershire sauce. Whilst cooking prick the meat with the knife. Once the steaks are nearly cooked add the brown sauce over the steaks. Add sliced mushrooms. Add a little freshly ground pepper. Serve with fried onions and mashed potatoes.

Note: To make Burnt sugar: take an old saucepan, take 1 tsp sugar and let it burn, once it burns add 1/2 cup water and let it cook for another 2-3 mins