The Foodie
Eggplant Extravaganza
Comments (0) | Sunday, January 31, 2016
The eggplant is a versatile vegetable that can be served in many different ways and is utilized in many cuisines. My earliest memory of this veggie was a dish that my mom used to make which involved fried slices of eggplant layered with meat sauce - Moussaka. That was mouth dripping yummy. In recent times a colleague of mine made some Vaangi Baath with the same and that tasted yum too.
My recipes use char grilled eggplants. I tend to use the medium sized ones. Switch on the gas and keep the eggplants on the grill till the skin starts to wrinkle and split open. Keep changing positions to ensure even cooking. You can make out they are done as soon as you start to see steam escaping through the surface of the eggplants. Allow them to rest for a while and remove the skin and cut the stems. The usual disclaimer applies - These are my versions of famous eggplant wonders.
Recipe 1 - Bhaigan Bhartha
Pour some oil into a hot pan and pop in a generous amount of chopped onions and garlic. Saute till transparent. Add some chopped tomatoes and continue with the Bhuna process. Add the awesome threesome of the spice world (turmeric, red chilli and coriander powder). When you see the fat separating from the mixture add in the char grilled eggplant and basically mash it in. You can add some tomato paste for color and additional acidity. Season to taste and there you go. A perfect accompaniment with a Roti of your choice.
Recipe 2 - Baba Ganoush
Mash your char grilled eggplant. Mix Tahini (This is a paste made out of sesame seeds) with some cold water to get a creamy, free dripping texture. Add in your mashed eggplant. Lots of finely chopped garlic. I am a big fan of garlic and use a lot of them in my cooking. A bit of cumin powder, paprika, chilli flakes because I love the heat and some coriander and you are done. As always do not forget to season with salt. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and what you have is a brilliant dip for those tortillas or for your 'lonely' pita bread.
Read More......
Cottage Cheese in a Spinach Puree
Comments (0) | Sunday, January 24, 2016
The anglicized title can be roughly translated to our ubiquitous Palak Paneer. It originates from Punjab and like many of their other dishes are meant for the hard working among us. I was giving a hint to the calorie count in case I was not clear there. Anyway let me jump into my version of this nutritious and vibrant dish.
Get your hands on a good bunch of spinach. Remove the roots and the tough stalks. Ensure you allow it to sit in water for a while and thoroughly rinse to clear all the dirt. This step is vital unless you wanna get a real taste of soil in your final dish. Chop it up any way you like. Spinach consists of water predominantly and once you cook it it just shrinks. A few drops of cooking oil in the pan. Add chopped onions and garlic. Saute them till they are caramelized. Add in some chopped chillies. Now pop in the spinach and cook this till all the water evaporates. I also add a stock cube to give the final dish more flavor and volume
Allow this to cool down. Put the mixture into a blender. Pour in water to cover the mixture and blend away till you get a thick puree. Put this puree back onto the pan. Add in some tomato paste / puree and some coriander powder and allow it to simmer on medium heat. Add paneer cubes, cumin powder and take the pan off fire. Now add a tablespoon of cream or more if you like your gravy to taste richer. Do adjust the seasoning. Serve this piping hot with a bread of your choice.
Get your hands on a good bunch of spinach. Remove the roots and the tough stalks. Ensure you allow it to sit in water for a while and thoroughly rinse to clear all the dirt. This step is vital unless you wanna get a real taste of soil in your final dish. Chop it up any way you like. Spinach consists of water predominantly and once you cook it it just shrinks. A few drops of cooking oil in the pan. Add chopped onions and garlic. Saute them till they are caramelized. Add in some chopped chillies. Now pop in the spinach and cook this till all the water evaporates. I also add a stock cube to give the final dish more flavor and volume
Read More......
Stir and Fry or is it Fry and Stir
Comments (0) | Sunday, January 17, 2016
One of the best ways of consuming your quota of veggies is the Stir Fry. Quick and simple, it can be served on its own or with noodles or a bread of your choice. So grab your seasonal vegetables and have a go at this one.
In my recent attempt I used zucchini, broccoli, mushroom, capsicum and tofu. Heat your wok to a good temperature. Drizzle some oil into it. Pop in a decent amount of chopped garlic. Let it flavor the oil. Now drop in your capsicum. Saute it around. Add the mushroom, zucchini and broccoli now. You can season the vegetables and allow them to cook in the steam by covering with a lid. Wait for the aroma of cooked vegetables to fill the air to lift the lid. Add the sauce of your choice (I used a mix of soy sauce, tomato sauce, chilli flakes, honey and corn flour). Drop in your tofu chunks and wait for the sauce to thicken before you turn the heat off.
Enjoy the yummy goodness of the stir fry while it is still hot. Till next time, Bon Appetit!
Read More......
Garfield loves this so do I
Comments (0) | Saturday, January 9, 2016
The familiar site of melted and browned cheese over layers of pasta and meat sauce makes most mouths water. Yup I am talking about Lasagna. I would like to think of it as the king of baked dinners. For lack of time and expertise I use store bought Lasagna sheets to make my version of this spectacular wonder. There are tonnes of recipes you can pull off the net and on TV shows and there are million versions of what is considered authentic. However I am going to offer a quick version which substitutes some of the involved steps.
I use minced chicken for my lasagna. I start off with a bit of olive oil in the pan. Add lots of garlic and suate till the air smells garlicky enough. In goes the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Once the juices are cooked I add in a few tablespoons of tomato paste and pour in water to get the consistency that I like. Water can be substituted with stock to get a more meaty flavor. Add oregano and allow the sauce to simmer till you get nice saucy consistency
To prepare the bechamel sauce, add a dollop of butter to a pan. Now add around 2 tablespoons of flour and make the roux. Slowly add around one and half cups of milk and keep stirring to avoid lumps. Once the sauce reaches the required consistency the pan can be taken off the fire. Don't forget to season with salt and pepper
Take a heat proof oven dish (PYREX is a good option). Place a layer of lasagna sheets. Pour some of the meat sauce. Place another layer of lasagna sheets followed by the sauce. Repeat this till you have filled three-fourths of the dish. Now pour the bechamel sauce and grate a good portion of Parmigiano-Reggiano , I use regular cheddar since it is easily available. Keep the dish in the fridge for two hours.
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celcius. Bake your lasagna for about 35 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. Tuck in and enjoy the richness of this yummy Italian favorite.
I use minced chicken for my lasagna. I start off with a bit of olive oil in the pan. Add lots of garlic and suate till the air smells garlicky enough. In goes the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Once the juices are cooked I add in a few tablespoons of tomato paste and pour in water to get the consistency that I like. Water can be substituted with stock to get a more meaty flavor. Add oregano and allow the sauce to simmer till you get nice saucy consistency
To prepare the bechamel sauce, add a dollop of butter to a pan. Now add around 2 tablespoons of flour and make the roux. Slowly add around one and half cups of milk and keep stirring to avoid lumps. Once the sauce reaches the required consistency the pan can be taken off the fire. Don't forget to season with salt and pepper
Take a heat proof oven dish (PYREX is a good option). Place a layer of lasagna sheets. Pour some of the meat sauce. Place another layer of lasagna sheets followed by the sauce. Repeat this till you have filled three-fourths of the dish. Now pour the bechamel sauce and grate a good portion of Parmigiano-Reggiano , I use regular cheddar since it is easily available. Keep the dish in the fridge for two hours.
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celcius. Bake your lasagna for about 35 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. Tuck in and enjoy the richness of this yummy Italian favorite.
Read More......