Shallots Rasam (Onion Rasam / Vengaya Rasam)

I had a wonderful weekend and the high point was a Sunday dinner @ Rajdhani (UB City Mall, Bengaluru). With a wonderful rooftop ambiance and really hospitable waiters in addition to the delectable Rajasthani-Marwadi fare, one is guaranteed an unforgettable experience. Be it the iconic Dal-Bati-Churma or the Surati Undhiyo, you will be left licking your fingers. Roti, Methi thepla, paratha, makki ki roti, aloo tikki, dhokla, sukki alu sabi, green moong subzi, panner, meethi dal, spicy dal, kadhi, coconut chutney, garlic chutney, bhavnagri mirchi, achar, papad, jalebi, halwa, basundi. Phew, I hope I have it all listed. Do visit the place if you can.

While the taste was incredibly good, all that makhan/butter made me feel quite lethargic the next morning. Even though I had just one slice of bread for breakfast, I did not have any appetite for lunch. That's when I saw these lovely shallots sitting in my fridge. And I knew that I just had to have them, preferably in the form of a rasam. The preparation turned out to be yummy and I had it with hot white rice and roasted urad dal papad. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time : 15-20 mins

Ingredient - 14-15 finely chopped shallots, 1 large tomato, 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind, 1/3 inch finely chopped ginger, 3-4 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1-2 tsp chopped coriander roots, 1 tbsp rasam powder (use homemade or store brought), pinch of asafoetida, salt, 2 tsp oil.

For tempering - 1 tsp oil, 1 dry red chilli, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 2-3 pinch asafoetida, 2 sprigs curry leaves.

Preparation - Take the garlic, ginger and coriander shoots. Crush together using a mortar and pestle.

Soak the tamarind in 1 cup warm water. Dissolve the rasam powder in 1/2 cup water.

Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil in a sauce pan. Fry the shallots till light translucent. Add the crushed ginger-garlic-coriander shoots with asafoetida. Fry for 1 minute or till raw smell goes away.

Add the chopped tomato. Cook till it softens but does not dissolve completely.

Add the tamarind water (but leave out the tamarind bits) with salt and another 2 cups water. Boil for 3-4 mins.

Add rasam powder dissolved in water. Boil for 2-3 mins.

Heat oil for tempering. Add broken chilli, mustard, cumin and asafoetida. When spluttering starts, add curry leaves. Pour this mixture over the boiling rasam.

Adjust salt and water. Boil for another 5 mins. 

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Note - One can use normal red onions in place of the shallots. But both have their own distinctive flavors and cannot replace each other in the real sense.

Slut's Spaghetti ( aka Spaghetti alla puttenesca aka whore's pasta )

Slut's spaghetti. Now that's not a new term coined by celebrity chef Nigella Lawson. Not that anybody is complaining. Anything for revenge, especially if the person concerned is the current flame of your-ex. And I love her perfect timing, with Valentine's day just around the corner. (Kudos to the paparazzi for picking up a scent as would befit a Police sniffer. The lady in question being none other than Trinny from the 'What not to wear India' on TLC, who I think has definitely got her basics wrong when it comes to Indian dressing.)

The recipe has been around for quite sometime ( since the 60's if I am not wrong ) and one can find quite a versions in cyberspace. One such story goes that the recipe is attributed to the Italian whores who with their uber busy lifestyles did never get around to the markets to buy some fresh produce. Instead they relied heavily on the canned stuff like anchovies, tomatoes, capers and olives. Hence the tangy and predominantly salty flavors.

Quite an effortless dish, it is no connoisseur's delight. Best served for brunch with your gang of girls or even as a lazy dinner for one.

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 200 gms spaghetti, 12-14 cherry tomatoes, 1 large tomato, 2 garlic flakes, 1/3 tsp chilli flakes, 1/3 tsp peppercorn, 1 tsp olive oil, 1-2 small green mango (pickled in brine), 2 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp dried parsley.

Preparation - Chop the tomatoes into small pieces.

Similarly chop up the green mango into very small bits. (Larger bits can be quite overwhelming if one bites into them)

Cooking - Bring water to boil in a large saucepan. Add sufficient amount of salt till the water tastes very salty. Add the spaghetti and give it a stir or two in between. Cook till aldente. (Takes 13-14 mins for the Borges brand of spaghetti). Drain off the water while saving 1/3 cup for the sauce.

Start on the sauce once you drop the noodles into the boiling water. Add the olive oil to a wok. Once warm, add chilli flakes and chopped/crushed garlic. Fry for 30 seconds.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till they soften slightly. Add fish sauce, crushed peppercorn, chopped green mango and dried parsley. Allow the sauce to reduce a bit.

Drop in the strained spaghetti. Add a bit of the water in which it was cooked. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes till it soaks up all the flavors. (Add some more water if you feel it to be too dry)

Serve hot.

Note - The original recipe calls for capers and pitted/Kalamata olives. But I believe in using locally sourced ingredients and I find pickled green mango (or ones preserved in brine ) to be a good substitute.

Tiramisu

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Tiramisu is an Italian dessert which literally means 'pick me up'. It is attributed to the combined effect of coffee(expresso), cocoa and sugar. One bite and you really get to know why they call it so.

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients - 12 ladyfinger biscuits, 1 tsp Nescafe, 1/2 tsp cocoa powder, 1/4 cup warm water, 1/4 cup milk, (5-6 tsp + 3 tsp) sugar, 1 cup cream cheese, 1 tsp butter, 2 tsp fresh cream, 1 egg yolk, 6-7 drops vanilla essence, cocoa powder for dusting.

Preparation - Dissolve the coffee and cocoa powder in warm water. Allow to cool. Then add the milk as well.

Beat the egg yolk with 5-6 tsp sugar till it is fluffy and very pale in color.

Beat the cream cheese with butter and fresh cream till light and fluffy. Fold in the egg yolk mixture gently. Add the vanilla essence.

Take a square dish. Line the ladyfinger biscuits. Add sufficient coffee-milk liquid onto the biscuits to wet them but not to make them very soggy.

Spoon over half of the cheese-yolk mixture. Sprinkle some cocoa powder. Add another layer of the biscuits. Drizzle with coffee liquid. Add the remaining cheese-yolk mixture.

Finally sprinkle as much cocoa powder as you like. (Add a few choco-chips if you want)

Refrigerate overnight. (Since I made this in a hurry, I had only about 7 hours for the dessert to set. The longer time you soak it, the better as the coffee flavors permeate into the cheese.)

Serve chilled.

Mushroom Biryani ( Celebrating my 400th post )

My 400th post. So it had to be something celebratory. My sincere and heartfelt gratitude to all my regular and not so regular readers. Your comments and encouragement is much appreciated and help me keep going. And a big thanks to my husband for putting up with my experiments in the kitchen. Thanks everyone for being a part of this wonderful journey.

Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients - 2 cups basmati rice, 200 gms button mushrooms, 2 large onions, 2 tsp GG paste, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp garam masala, 4 tsp thick yogurt, 3 tbsp tomato puree, 6 tsp chopped mint leaves, 6 tsp chopped coriander leaves, whole garam masala ( 1 mace, 1 star anise, 2 pinch nutmeg powder, 3-4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 green cardamon), 1 tsp ghee, 4 tsp oil, salt to taste.

Preparation - Clean and wash the mushroom. Cut along the length into slices of medium thickness.

Soak the mushroom in a pan with water and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder for 1 hour. Drain off the water and pat dry with a paper towel.

Take the yogurt, GG paste, cumin powder, chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric half of the chopped mint and coriander leaves, garam masala and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the mushrooms and coat them thoroughly with the marinade. This helps the mushroom absorb the spice flavors. Allow t rest for 1-2 hours.

Cut the onions into thin long pieces.

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add half of the sliced onions and fry on low flame till they turn brown. You can add 1/2 tsp sugar to hasten the process. Remove the caramelized onions and keep aside.

Add 2 tsp oil to the same wok. Add the remaining onions and fry till light brown. Add the tomato puree and fry for another 2-3 mins.

Add the marinated mushrooms along with the marinade. Cook for 4-5 minutes till the excess water evaporates and masalas are well cooked. (It is ok if mushroom is still under-cooked, it gets done along with the rice.)

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pressure cooker. Add the remaining mint and coriander leaves. Fry for 1 minute.
Add the whole masalas and fry for 30 seconds.

Add the washed basmati rice, mushrooms and 2 2/3 cup water (add another 1/3 cup if you want softer rice). Mix gently. Sprinkle ghee and salt over the contents. Add half of the caramelized onions. Close the lid and cook for 1 whistle.

Allow steam to escape before opening lid. Keep aside for 10-15 mins before serving. Just before serving gently mix the rice and mushrooms so that they are evenly distributed ( mushrooms tend to rise to the top while cooking ).

Serve hot with raita and papad.

Note - Add 1/2 cup capsicum to the marinade along with the mushrooms. Give a really nice twist/flavor to the mushroom biryani. ( Again it depends on whether you like capsicum ). Also if you are not really into mushroom, try a combination of baby corn and capsicum which is equally good.

Ambila

Ambila. This watery yet yummy sweet-sour preparation from Orissa can also be termed as 'Odiya rasam' as it is similar to the south indian delicacy. But as compared to the latter it is quite loaded with vegetables, usually the seasonal variety. Hence it is nutritious and low in calories at the same time. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 25-30 mins

Ingredients - 1/2 cup cubed pumpkin, 1/2 cup thickly sliced cucumber, 1/2 cup cubed colocassia, 1 large tomato, 3 tsp yogurt, 1 tsp besan, 1 tsp tamarind pulp/ 1-2 ambula, 2-3 pinches turmeric, 1 tsp oil, salt to taste, 1 tsp sugar.

For tempering - 4-5 crushed garlic flakes, 2 sprigs curry leaves, 1-2 tbsp chopped green onions, 2-3 dry red chillis, 2 pinch asafoetida, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp oil

Preparation - Take yogurt, besan and 3-4 tsp water in a bowl. Mix well till no lumps remain.

Dissolve the tamarind pulp in 3-4 tsp water and keep aside. ( if using ambula soak it for 2-3 hours before using)

Cooking - Boil the pumpkin, cucumber and colcassia with 5-6 cups water, turmeric and salt in a large saucepan.

Heat another pan/wok. Add 1 tsp oil. Fry the chopped tomato till mushy. Add the tomato to the other vegetables when they are half cooked. Boil for 2-3 minutes.

Add the yogurt mixture and keep stirring for 5 minutes till it gets to a boil. Add the tamarind water/ambula and sugar.

Heat oil in a tempering pan. Add broken red chilli, mustard and cumin seeds. When it starts spluttering, add the asafoetida, crushed garlic, curry leaves and spring onions. Fry for 30-40 seconds.

Pour the tempering over the contents of the saucepan. Boil for 2-3 minute. Switch off flame and remove from stove.

Serve cold. (Tastes even better the next day, just take care to remove it from the fridge a good 2-3 hours before consuming.)

Note - Other vegetables like eggplant, radish, okra, ash gourd, amaranthus stem are also added to this recipe. But I had prepared this with all the leftover veggies in my fridge. 

Schezwan Noodles

Yes, You guessed it right. I am on a Schewan spree these days. Even since I learnt to make the sauce at home ( will post recipe very soon ), I have been trying out with every possible permutation and combination. So over the last 2-3 weeks, we have had schezwan chicken, schezwan rice, schezwan noodles, schezwan paneer and even a schezwan dosa. Seems like I cannot get oven this yummy flavor at least till I finish the last batch of sauce that I had prepared. Till then, please bear with my latest obsession.

Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients - 225 gm noodles, 3 cups of mixed vegetables (carrot, bell pepper, onions, french beans),  2-3 tsp schezwan sauce, 1 tsp tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp vinegar, 1/3 light soy sauce, 4 tsp oil, salt to taste, spring onions for final garnish, 10-12 fried/boiled chicken pieces (optional), 1 scrambled egg (optional).

Preparation - Finely chop all the veggies and combine them.

Dilute the schezwan sauce with 2-3 tsp water and add a little salt.
Keep aside.

Bring water to boil in a large saucepan. Add noodle to it and cook till it is done yet a bit firm. (About 3-4 mins)

Drain off the water and transfer noodles to a plate. Add 1 tsp oil and lightly toss with hands to coat evenly.

Cooking - Heat oil in a wide wok. Add all the veggies and saute on high for 2-3 minutes so that they do not lose their crispiness. ( Add the chicken and scrambled egg at this stage )

Add the schezwan sauce, tomato sauce and vinegar; and fry for 1 minute.

Add the noodles, sprinkle salt and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Do not stir too much or the noodles might break. Switch off flame and add the spring onions.

Serve hot.

Note - If preparing a chicken noodles recipe, cut down the quantity of veggies to about 1 cup and double/treble the chicken quantity.

Cheese Schezwan Masala Dosa

On a recent evening out ( quite rare with a kid hanging around ), I happened to sample some mind blowing dosa varieties in Bengaluru. Made me wonder why i hadn't tried out this South indian-Chinese fusion earlier.
Though I can never ever get tried of this crispy golden delicacy, some variety is always welcome.

The tiny roadside stall goes by the name of '99 Dosas' and has a quite a few branches around the city I am told. And with a big crowd surrounding this place, it seems to be very popular. Sometimes it takes upto 30-40 minutes to get your order but the wait is quite worth it. I particularly liked the 'Cheese Schezwan' one. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Ingredients - 1 cup of dosa batter, 1 boiled potato, 1 small onion (finely chopped), 2 tbsp julienned carrot, 1 tbsp spring onions, 1/4 cup fresh peas, a pinch of turmeric, salt to taste, 2 tsp schezwan sauce, 1/2 tsp GG paste, 4-5 tbsp grated processed cheese, 4-5 tsp oil, 2 tsp butter (optional).

Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok. Add the onions and fry till light brown. Add GG paste and fry for 2 mins.

Add the mashed potato along with salt. Fry for 2-3 mins. Remove from wok and allow to cool a bit.

Heat a dosa tawa. Season with just a bit of oil.

Pour 1/2 cup batter and spread with a circular motion into a thin dosa.

Drizzle a little oil on sides. Put 1 tsp butter in the center and spread it. Put some schezwan sauce on top and spread it all over the dosa.

Add half of the potato mixture. Top with the chopped carrots, spring onions and peas.

Sprinkle the grated cheese. Mix it a bit with the other ingredients.

Fold over and serve hot with chutney.

Note: I have used more of the potato mixture as compared to veggies. One can adjust the proportion as per one's liking.

Chettinad Chicken

I did it. Chettinad Chicken has been on my 'To-Do' list for the longest possible time. And I had kept on procrastinating till i ran out of gravy chicken recipes. A quick look at my drafts revealed quite a few recipes that I had bookmarked for sometime. And the first one happened to be this rich and delectable South indian style curry.

Chettinad happens to be a part of the state of Tamil Nadu and it is quite known for its rich and aromatic cuisine. A flourishing traders community known as the 'Chettiars' are attributed with the distinct 'Chettinad Cuisine'. The famous saying in South India 'One is lucky to eat like a Chettiar' bears testimony to the rich culinary heritage of this region. And Chettinad Chicken happens to be one of the more (if not the most) famous non-vegetarian recipes from this region. Read on:

Preparation Time - 50 mins - 1 hr

Ingredients -1/2 kg skinless chicken, 1 large onion + 1 medium sized onion, 1 large tomato, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp lime juice, 5 tsp oil, 2 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, salt to taste, chopped coriander for the garnish.

For the masala - 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tbsp poppy seeds, 2 red chillis, 1 tsp peppercorns, 1/2 inch cinnamon, 2 cloves, 1 green cardamon, 1 petal of star anise, 1 petal of mace, 1 pinch nutmeg, 3 tbsp freshly grated coconut.

Preparation - Marinate the chicken with salt, turmeric and lime juice. Keep aside for 1-2 hours.

Cut the onion into thin slices. Chop the tomato into small pieces.

Cooking - Dry roast all the masalas except for star anise, mace, nutmeg and coconut. (Better to roast each masala/spice separately till it gives off its distinct fragrance but if one is running short of time roast them together taking care not to burn any of it.)

Dry roast the coconut separately. Allow all the roasted masalas and coconut to cool down. Then combine and grind into a coarse powder. Add the ginger garlic paste to this powder.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add curry leaves and sliced onions. Fry on low flame till onion turns light brown.

Add the masala paste along with nutmeg, mace and star anise. Fry for 3 minutes.

Add the tomato pieces with chilli powder and a little salt. Cook till tomatoes turn tender and start to leave oil.

Add the chicken pieces. Cook covered on medium to high flame for 5-6 minutes,stirring once or twice in between.

Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of boiling water to the chicken. Simmer for 5-6 minutes or till the chicken pieces are tender.

Switch off flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with paratha/appam or even white rice.

Note - I used only 2/3 of the total ground masala as i find it rather spicy. But u can modify the quantity of masala as per taste.

Khol Rabi Rasam

Rasam happens to be among those 'once in a blue moon' recipes that find a place in our menu. While it has its own unique taste, i find myself cooking more of  'kanji' /'khatta' varieties as they include at least one or more vegetables. Even when i made this rasam, I could not stop myself from adding some 'Kholrabi' to it.
The flavor turned out to be quite different from the usual tomato rasam/lemon rasam i had tried earlier.

While I like to have rasam just by itself and hence add very little of the rasam powder, please add more than double the quantity I have mentioned if having it with rice. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients - 1 medium sized khol rabi, a fistful of toor dal, 1 medium sized tomato, 1 tsp tamarind paste, 1 sprig curry leaves, 2 garlic flakes, 1 tsp rasam powder, 2 dry red chillis, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 2 pinch asafoetida, 2 pinch pepper powder, pinch of turmeric, salt to taste, 2 tsp oil, coriander for garnishing (optional).

Preparation - Dissolve the rasam powder and tamarind in 1/2 cup water. Keep aside.

Cut the tomato into large chunks and de-seed them.

Cooking - Wash and transfer the toor dal to a pressure cooker. Cut the khol rabi into big chunks and add to the pressure cooker. Add 1 1/2 cups of water along with salt to taste and turmeric. 

Cook for 2 whistles. Allow steam to escape before opening lid. Remove the Khol rabi pieces and mash the dal.

Heat oil in a wok. Add broken red chilli, mustard seeds, crushed garlic and curry leaves. Add the asafotida.

Add the tomato with a little salt. Cook till it softens. Add 1 cup boiling water.

Add the rasam powder and tamarind mixture. Bring to boil and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Add the mashed dal and khol rabi pieces along with pepper powder. Allow to simmer for 6-7 minutes.

Serve hot with rice.

Schezwan Chicken Recipe

Another Indo-Chinese fusion recipe from my kitchen . Read on:

Ingredients:
For marinate : Boneless chicken pieces ( 30a0 gm ), egg white( 1 no ), cornflour ( 1 tsp ), maida ( 1 tsp ), vinegar ( 1/2 tsp), soya sauce ( 1 tsp ), fish sauce ( 1/3 tsp), finely cut garlic ( 1 tsp, heaped ), salt.

For the saute : Capsicum ( 1 small ), carrot ( 1/2 of a small ), onion ( 1 small ), spring onions ( 1 tbsp, finely chopped), schezwan sauce ( 2-3 tsp), fish sauce ( 1 tsp ), soya sauce ( 1/2 tsp ), finely cut garlic ( 1 tsp ), pepper powder ( 1/4 tsp), salt, tomato sauce ( 1 tsp ), cornflour ( 1 tsp), oil ( 3 tsp ).

For deep frying : oil .

Preparation: Mix all the ingredients for marination in a large bowl. Keep aside for 2 hours.

Cut the capsicum, carrot and onion into long strips.

Cooking: Heat sufficient oil in wok for deep frying the chicken.

Add the chicken pieces in small batches. Lower the flame. Fry for 3-4 mins.
Remove from wok and keep aside.

Mix the cornflour with 4-5 tbsp water so that no lumps remain.

Heat 3 tsp of oil in a wok. Add the schezwan sauce. Saute for 2 mins.

Add the cornstarch paste and stir till it starts thickening.

Add the fried chicken along with tomato sauce, soya sauce, fish sauce and garlic. Fry on high flame for 2-3 mins.

Add all the vegetables. Sprinkle pepper powder and a pinch of salt. Toss it well. (Add a few teaspoons of water if it is too dry or sticking to the pan )

Serve hot as an appetizer or even a side dish.

Happy Saraswati Puja!!

Happy Saraswati Puja to All!!

Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and learning is being worshiped by Oriya folks (especially the students) with much fervor on this day. The traditional prasad offered on this day is the 'Chuda Ghasa', prepared with flattened/beaten rice, ghee, coconut and sugar/jaggery. (Some cucumber/banana/apple slices can also be added if it is to be consumed immediately)

Come join in the celebrations!!!!