THE RECIPE LARDER

One Pot Pasta with Mukka Pyaz

By Leave a Comment

One Pot Pasta with Mukka Pyaz
Print Recipe
Easy and quick, and makes use of all your left over veggies.
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 10 min
Cook Time
15 min
One Pot Pasta with Mukka Pyaz
Print Recipe
Easy and quick, and makes use of all your left over veggies.
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Ingredients
Servings: pax
Instructions
  1. Without peeling the onion, cut off both the bases.
  2. With the broad side up, pound it hard a few times with your fist.(ie mukka pyaz)
  3. Tears will appear. Starting from the tear peel the onion and then start cutting and tearing the layers (see video) Keep aside
  4. In a thick bottom pan, add the olive oil and butter. When a little brown add the sliced garlic. Saute for a few minutes
  5. Add the black pepper then the onions
  6. Saute till onion is a translucent.
  7. Add the cherry tomato and saute for a few minutes.
  8. Add the herbs (basil and rosemary).
  9. Add the broccoli and then add the salt.
  10. Add the pasta and break it with the spoon and then douse it with water till the top of the pan. (see recipe notes - IMPORTANT)
  11. Dilute the bouillon in water and add to the pasta. (IMPORTANT - see recipe notes )
  12. Cook on medium heat till the pasta cooks and water soaks up completely.
  13. Keep stirring intermediately.
  14. If the water soaks up and the pasta hasn't cooked, add more water, but little at a time.
  15. If the pasta has cooked and some water is left, let it be. The pasta will soak it up.
  16. Add chilly flakes.
  17. When done and just before taking off the fire add the asparagus and mushrooms and mix into the pasta.
  18. Serve with garlic bread on the side.
Recipe Notes

 

Times have come when we are very very careful about wasting any food. This recipe hits the spot because it uses up all the left over veggies and wilting herbs in your fridge. It's an amazing recipe for students or those who need to cook quickly and minimally. Needless to say both my kids made this quite often when in college. But- for this recipe my son used a very Indian road side restaurant trick of Mucca Pyaz - ie fist broken onion.

Somehow when the onion is broken with the fist, the juices flow and dissipate in such a manner that the onion looses its fiery pungency and for some reason tastes way sweeter. Just for your info - try this with the very Indian Chola Kulcha.

We have used broccoli, asparagus, some left over mushrooms, herbs that existed in our fridge. You can of course replace with any other her you have. Parsley, chives, oregano etc all go really well. If you dont have fresh herbs, dried herbs will also do the trick.

You want more heat add  some Spicy chillies while the pasta boils. Green chilly does not do well, so I would avoid that.

You can add any cheese you have, just before taking off the fire, stir some in.

We add the asparagus and mushrooms last, as they are veggies that cook really fast, and adding them earlier would have turned it to mush.

We hope you enjoy this recipe. Do tag us on #therecipelarder on instagram.

VEG STOCK V/S VEG BOUILLON

Since I did not want to use any extra veggies to make veg stock, I used veg Bouillon. I rather use veg stock as however organic bouillon is processed. But having said that bouillon has strong flavours and works well when you don't have too much time or patience at hand.

HOW TO MAKE VEG STOCK. For this recipe - take 4 cups of water. Add to a pan and in it add some bay leaf, black pepper and roughly cut white veggies - ie onions, bottle gourd, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin (not the very sweet one)etc. Boil everything together till the water boils down to half. Strain. Use the veggies in your chapati dough, or  mix it into your dal. Use this water for cooking pasta.

If you use stock do not add veg bouillon.

SEE VIDEO HERE:

 

Share this Recipe

Beetroot Carpaccio with Tamarind Redution Vinaigrette.

By Leave a Comment

Beetroot Carpaccio with reduced Tamarind Redution.
Print Recipe
Thin veils of roasted beetroot, a fusion tamarind reduction and goats cheese. A salad made for cosy afternoons.
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 hour - plus 30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 hour - plus 30 minutes
Beetroot Carpaccio with reduced Tamarind Redution.
Print Recipe
Thin veils of roasted beetroot, a fusion tamarind reduction and goats cheese. A salad made for cosy afternoons.
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 hour - plus 30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 hour - plus 30 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: pax
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 200 Deg F.
  2. Wash the beetroots well and scrub it.
  3. Enclose the wet beetroots in foil and place in the middle rack of the oven. This should take appx 1 hour.
  4. Soak the tamarind in hot water and leave aside for appx 30 minutes. Use only as much water to soak the tamarind. Do not use excess water.
  5. Soak the chillies and seeds and black pepper together in a bowl, with hot water. Keep aside for appx 30 minutes
  6. After appx 30 minutes, mash the tamarind and strain the juices with a strainer. Throw away the pulp (or use for marination) and keep the juices.
  7. In a grinder, grind to paste the strained tamarind, chillies, seeds and black pepper.
  8. Heat some oil in a pan and saute the tamarind and red chilly paste.
  9. Add salt and the 2 tbspn water and let it cook for appx a minute.
  10. Set aside to cool in a bowl.
  11. ASSEMBLY: (see video) 1) Place the leaves on the plate. 2) Arrange the beets in a circle on the leaves. 3) Smear scantily, the reduced tamarind vinaigrette. 4) Place blogs of goats cheese on the smeared beets. 5) Repeat again with the beets, then tamarind reduction and goats cheese, till all the beets are over.
  12. Garnish with piped cheese cream and more salad leaves.
  13. Serve totally chilled.
Recipe Notes

I have been a wee bit obsessed with all things carpaccio for a bit. Those thin, almost translucent slices of veggies fascinate me. These thin veils, with their dressing or sauce, melting in the mouth – the whole experience just makes me feel so good. I mean how can something so thin leave behind an explosion of flavors?

 

Goat’s cheese is my all time favourite cheese, snack, and go to for balance in taste. Tamarind is one of my favourite sour sides, and a very underrated variety. When have you heard of tamarind being used as a salad vinaigrette and yet it’s a kin of the oft used balsamic (sort off!!)

 

I don’t want to gabber too much, because you really need to go check out the recipe and make it. Now is a good time to experiment huh?

 

Please do tag us on #therecipelarder on insta and facebook, with pictures if you make this recipe.

 

Cheers!

Check out the video here

 

 

 

 

Share this Recipe

Radish Salad

By Leave a Comment

I detest radish! It’s bitter, pungent and according to me serves no purpose in the culinary world. The Japanese use a lot of radish in their cuisine, and I always wondered what they do to it to make that pungent and mouth twisting bitter taste, disappear ?! Even after tasting that kind of radish, I could still not lift a piece of raw radish from a salad! Until – this lady made me taste her concoction.

…

Read More »

Corn Pulao

By Leave a Comment

There is something about the farm  in full bloom, the birds happy with themselves, bees humming, butterflies swarming around, and our two dogs furtively chasing away the monkeys (who want to uproot our vegetable patches!). The entire happy cycle of nature makes my soul sigh in satisfaction.

This season we got bushels and bushels of corn from our farm in Mahabaleshwar. And strawberries. And radish.  And beans. And cauliflower!! And so many other small batches of pure organic vegetables. The taste and inherent sweetness of the freshly plucked organic vegetables is a  world apart from what we get in cities.

We had freshly plucked corn, and we all decided to have Corn  Pulao.

Fresh corn, fragrant rice, a one pot marvel.

This is a really simple recipe, very easy prep and damn tasty to boot! Just before adding the rice, you will realise that the corn looks so good, and it tastes and smells good too. At this point you can easily not add the rice and serve it as a veggies with any kind of roti! (we almost did that, as the smell was making us go crazy – and we were fast loosing patience).

Serve it with yoghurt and papad! Or eat it plain! You can easily increase or decrease the spices. What I have written in my recipe is not a very spicy version. The yoghurt, balances the spices.

Fresh rice Pulao, made with organic corn.

I hope you like the recipe as much as all of us did!

PS: here is the link to the youtube video to make your life a tad easier!

Cheers and Ciao!

 

 

Corn Pulao
Print Recipe
Easy one pot Corn Pulao, full of fragrant spices.
Servings Prep Time
4 Pax 15 min
Cook Time Passive Time
25 min 30 min
Servings Prep Time
4 Pax 15 min
Cook Time Passive Time
25 min 30 min
Corn Pulao
Print Recipe
Easy one pot Corn Pulao, full of fragrant spices.
Servings Prep Time
4 Pax 15 min
Cook Time Passive Time
25 min 30 min
Servings Prep Time
4 Pax 15 min
Cook Time Passive Time
25 min 30 min
Ingredients
Servings: Pax
Instructions
  1. Take the corn grains off the cob.
  2. Heat oil. When spluttering add the cinnamon, green cardamoms, cloves, black pepper(optional), and bay leaves one by one.
  3. Roast well, then add chopped onions.
  4. When translucent and semi brown, add the garlic and ginger.
  5. After a minute, add the green chillies.
  6. Now add the turmeric and red chilli powder.
  7. Fry for a while till the (spices) masalas all mix together.
  8. Add the corn and toss and mix well.
  9. Now add the hing water and mix it all together.
  10. Add salt and fresh corriander.
  11. Add the yoghurt, and mix into the corn.
  12. When well mixed and small bubbles appear, add the soaked raw rice.
  13. Mix all together and add the water.
  14. Mix, and cover with well fitted lid, to cook. Medium flame.
  15. Keep checking the contents so that it does not burn and catch at the bottom.
  16. If water reduces, and rice has not cooked, add a 1/4th cup rice and then add slowly as needed.
  17. When cooked, garnish and serve immediately.
Share this Recipe

Masaledar Aloo (A family recipe)

By Leave a Comment

Rich blend of spices – sookhi aloo ki sabji

Lot of good things happen in Mahabaleshwar. One of the finest things is – something about that place makes people want to cook.

The kitchen is airy and has huge windows opening out to our kitchen garden. The fact that it’s a biggish sized kitchen also makes it easier to have people milling around and experimenting with various home grown and organic ingredients.

I had my cousin uncle and aunt over. The fact that he is my age does not deter me from calling him uncle. Some childhood habits just don’t get out of your system….

Read More »

Basil Pesto and Pesto Pasta

By Leave a Comment

It’s that time of the year again, when our farm in Mahabaleshwar is thriving and blooming. The entire farm is disrupted during the monsoons, which are heavy, non stop and torrential. In fact Mahabaleshwar gets the second highest rainfall in India, next only to Cherrapunji.

Just before the rains are predicted to stop, (and these predictions never come true!), we start planting some seeds in a sheltered area. Once the rains stop, the seeds are now seedlings and can be re transplanted in pots or beds. It’s a lot of work! The soil has to be turned, aired and new top soil has to be spread. Since we plant over almost 2 acres of land, it’s a busy time for all of us.

Seeing the seedlings burst forth into vegetables and flowers is the best thrill and pure fodder for my soul. I love the city but off late ever so often I just want to vacate my senses and vegetate with the vegetation.

This year started with a wild, wild and massive bush of Basil. So much that I did not know what to do with it. I plucked them and got them back to Bombay, still pondering in my head and actually stressing over not wasting this lot. It was fragrant, the leaves heavy with taste. I decided to make Pesto and sell it to my customers.

Pesto made with fresh fragrant organic basil

I came home and experimented with a batch. It was perfect, green and luscious. I bottled it and announced the sale, and it was gone within hours! All the bottles were booked!

Over time, the green becomes pale and dark. So if you want really bright green pesto, make it on the spot and use it. Making it a day in advance allows all the flavours to steep. But if you want to use it as a dip, or in an open sandwich, then make it on the spot.

Basil grows very easily in home cultured pots. And mind you, it can grow wild. Now when you have too much Basil, and your heart is breaking at the wastage, you know what to do with it.

We were all having fondue, and one of our friends did not like the smell of the cheese. So I made Pesto Pasta for her and her husband. I do believe the plate was polished off!!! 😀

Basil Pesto mixed with pasta

I hope you enjoy making this recipe, because there is no better smell than that of, fresh basil, smooth virgin olive oil and fragrant new garlic.

Cheer!

 

 

Basil Pesto and Pesto Pasta
Print Recipe
Fresh fragrant basil, made into pesto. Can be used as a dipping sauce, over sandwiches and salads, and of course made into a pasta.
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Basil Pesto and Pesto Pasta
Print Recipe
Fresh fragrant basil, made into pesto. Can be used as a dipping sauce, over sandwiches and salads, and of course made into a pasta.
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Ingredients
Pesto
Pasta
Servings: pax
Instructions
  1. Add all the ingredients of the pesto to a food processor and mix till its cohesive and no coarse pieces can be seen or felt.
  2. Put aside to use immediately or bottle in sterilised jar for future use.
Pasta
  1. Boil the pasta and keep aside
  2. Add the oil to the pan, and then add the pesto.
  3. Add the pasta and half of the parmesan cheese.
  4. Toss well and add 1/4th cup of the pasta water to the mix
  5. Toss again
  6. Serve hot garnished with the remaining parmesan cheese and cherry tomatoes.
  7. Add a side of toasty garlic or plain bread with this dish.
Share this Recipe

Matar Ka Nimona

By Leave a Comment

Green peas, warian from Amritsar, and gentle spices make this an amazing winter dish.

Hare Matar ka Nimona

We were in Amritsar recently, and the fresh vegetables caught my friends eyes and she really wished to take some back home.

Fresh Peas

Fresh Peas

Alas! We had all shopped so much (and hey! it was cold, we had heavy jackets as well!), that our bags were collectively over weight. My poor bereft friend had to let go of the farm fresh vegetables. But to make things a wee better we had true Punjabi Warian with us.

Warian made with lentils and spices and dried in the heat of Amritsar

Warian

Many years back I had Matar Ka Nimona at my cousins place. I remember eating bowl fulls much to her delight and finally to her dismay. She was worried I would get an upset stomach!!

Farm Fresh green peas, spiced Warian from Amritsar and gentle spices

Hare Matar Ka Nimona

This is actually a dish famous in Uttar Pradesh. It is mostly made during the winters when the peas are fresh and juicy. Wadi (Warian is Punjabi) in Uttar Pradesh, is made with fresh white pumpkin, urad dal, and garam masala. It’s dried in the heat of summer and remains intact for the year round.

I made this recipe many times last year. It’s very suitable to the Indian palate. Too alien for foreigners. It goes well with any kind of Indian Roti. Even tastes good with rice.

fresh green peas, spiced warian and a curry , just right for winters

Hare Matar Ka Nimona

You can easily avoid the onion and garlic and reduce the spice quotient. But some amount of spice is definitely needed, don’t do away with it totally. I prefer to make this without the onion and garlic.

There is something about this dish, which appeals to me greatly. The mouth feel of the pea paste and  a subtle hint of flavour left behind by the cooking  wadi, and then of course the wadi itself, along with a soft pillowy taste of potatoes cooked in the simmering gravy. The gravy tends to thicken as it goes, and thickens even more when it’s left till it is consumed. So, adding enough water is essential, and just before serving (if made a little ahead of time) add a little salted water and cook till boiling and serve immediately.

Try and get small fresh peas. That will lend to the dish an inherent sweetness, which when combined with the garam masala of the wadi makes it resonate in your mouth.

 

 

Matar Ka Nimona
Print Recipe
Farm fresh winter peas, potatoes, warian and gentle spices, make this a festive yet comforting winter dish.
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 - 20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 - 20 minutes
Matar Ka Nimona
Print Recipe
Farm fresh winter peas, potatoes, warian and gentle spices, make this a festive yet comforting winter dish.
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 - 20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 - 20 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: pax
Instructions
  1. Make a coarse paste of the peas, onion, garlic, green chilly, ginger and keep aside.
  2. Break the warian into small pieces. The warian should be broken into pieces which would fill appx half a tablespoon. We don't want powder here.
  3. Chop the potato into 10 large pieces and keep aside in water.
  4. On medium flame, add the ghee. When hot but not smoking, add the cumin and bay leaf and lastly the hing.
  5. Now add the warian and fry for appx 2 minutes.
  6. Then add the pea paste and fry till it becomes a bit dry.
  7. Now add the potatoes and fry again for a minute.
  8. Add the red chilly powder.
  9. Keep stirring as the pea paste will get caught at the bottom.
  10. Scrape all the brown parts stuck at the bottom and now add the water.
  11. Cover and let it simmer till the potato has cooked.
  12. As soon as the potatoes are done turn off the fire.
  13. Please make this dish as close to serving as possible, because the peas, potato and warian all soak up the water, and your dish will start drying out and becoming thick. Good gravy is the key to this dish.
Share this Recipe

One Pot Chole Chawal

By Leave a Comment

one pot chole rice.

My grand mom made the best Chole in the world. It was a hand me down recipe from her mother who was according to me was an un hailed, un acclaimed legendary cook worth atleast a couple of Michelin Stars. Not only did she cook like her hands were blessed by the gods, but she also remembered amongst the dozens of grand and great grand children, who thronged at her home each summer, what each of us loved to eat. Our stomachs and souls were in heaven when at her home. Every morning, no matter how early we woke up, we would find her tinkering in the kitchen, singing bhajans to her beloved Krishna. I asked her one day if she has any recipes written down – and she looked at me like I was asking her if Krishna liked dance music. Every single recipe, and there were thousands in her repertoire, was stored in her head. And not once was there a variation in what we ate. Each and every time over the years the dishes tasted the same – tasty, heartwarming and soul stirring.

My nani, handed me this recipe of Chole, very casually over dinner one day. I scrambled up and wrote it down. Over the years, I have also perfected this recipe with trials and error. And while it still does not taste like how she or her mom made it, it stills holds good on it’s own….

Read More »

Cheese Fondue

By Leave a Comment

Fondue and a Picnic. That’s what the heading should be! We were in Mahabaleshwar, my friend Nishi and me. Every day, pre-lunch we opened a bottle of Prosecco and made short work of it. We would keep chatting and pouring a small finger worth (for two reasons- one – it felt like we were drinking less, and two – it kept chilled while we drank.)…

Read More »

Tawa Ka Tikla

By Leave a Comment

Tawa ka Tikla

This is a classic dish made by Marwaris. It’s healthy, wholesome and extremely satisfying. As a kid, I took it for school lunch almost three times a week. It’s made with whole wheat flour, so – healthy!! Ghee – good fats! Ajwain – great digestive. Whats not to like. And it’s yummylicious to boot!

The name Tawa ka Tikla is derived from the fact that it is made on a tawa (girdle) and there is no roasting on direct fire – like the normal roti’s and chapattis. The other Tikla we make is fried in ghee. Lethally tasty – that one too!

When we were growing up, we had no gas stoves at home. We were as organic as it could get. The food was cooked on a mud stove, and charcoal was used to light the fire. Of course, the kitchen got as black as well -soot, but Oh My! the food that we ate had an aroma which no smoke machine can impart. All fresh, earthy and hearty!

The stove was large and there was additional place around to keep the ready food. All the dal, rice and veggies were kept in that area. It would be hot and therefore kept the food also piping hot. No reheating, no microwave. The chapati was made directly on coal – no smell of gas and no artificial flavours. The cook would dust off the soot, liberally dribble homemade ghee and serve it to us. And nowadays, we crave “wood-fired” pizza!!

My grand mom’s man Friday would clean the stove after every meal with water, washing away all remnants of food, leaving the place clean and shiny. We needed no pest control. The hot stove would allow no cockroaches to roost. The burnt coal was converted to ash, and that was used to wash the vessels. We had to recycle before it became a fancy word.

Once every few months the man Friday, would lovingly renew the stove with fresh mud and fill up the cracks and crevices.

The simple grub was nourishing and rich and healthy. I still maintain that I hated the veggies because it was insipid at it’s best. But that was the fault of the cook and not the system. I have still not eaten that kind of dal and chapati ever again.

My sister still makes this dish – Tawa ka Tikla. I had forgotten all about it until one day I got a longing and craving to eat this ghee laden yummy snack. I could eat only one, but back in school it was a staple and I could polish off a whole lot with pickle, in the name of lunch.

It’s very simple to make. It can be cooled and kept in an airtight container for a week plus.

SOME NOTES:

Enough ghee should be put into the dry ingredients so that the flour when closed into a fist stays intact and does not fall down and disintegrate like powder.

Warm water should be used to make the dough. Add it slowly, making the consistency a bit rubbery. Each flour quality reacts its own way, so a little more or less water might have to use, than specified in the recipe.

Please don’t try to go easy on the ghee. It’s a very indispensable ingredient and if you are following the latest health trends, – then – ghee is a vital and important fat and should be consumed in restrained quantities.

The holes are made, so that the Tikla does not puff up, and gets firm and semi-crisp, as you keep pressing and cooking it.

While rolling the dough, if it’s too sticky and is cracking and breaking up, it means that the dough needs more flour and a dribble of water. Add little at a time according to consistency.

Here is the video

 

It’s an excellent and nutritive dish for kids tiffins, to keep as a quick snack. Top it with hummus, a mix of cucumber tomato kachumber, serve it with hot garlic chutney, with dry potato veggie – Just go for it. Dig in!!

I hope you make it and enjoy it. Cheers!

Tawa Ka Tikla
Print Recipe
Made with whole wheat flour, this traditional Marwari dish can take the place of a quick lunch, or a satisfying snack.
Servings Prep Time
12 - 15` pieces 10 minutes
Cook Time
15- 20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
12 - 15` pieces 10 minutes
Cook Time
15- 20 minutes
Tawa Ka Tikla
Print Recipe
Made with whole wheat flour, this traditional Marwari dish can take the place of a quick lunch, or a satisfying snack.
Servings Prep Time
12 - 15` pieces 10 minutes
Cook Time
15- 20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
12 - 15` pieces 10 minutes
Cook Time
15- 20 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: pieces
Instructions
  1. Mix all the dry ingredients and give it a good whisk
  2. Heat the ghee mildly. You should be able to dip your finger into it.
  3. Add the ghee, and mix it well
  4. When the dough is held in your fist, it should not disintegrate and should hold for a few seconds.
  5. Once its mixed well, slowly add the water.
  6. Do not add it all at once
  7. Keep adding the water and keep kneading.
  8. The dough should be such that it's easily rollable, and not break when its being rolled.
  9. So if it breaks while rolling add a tspn or so of whole wheat flour and a dribble of water.
  10. This happens because the flour is not consistent in quality. Your flour could be different from mine. It could soak more water or less.
  11. Once the dough is ready, knead it on the counter.
  12. Make small balls and keep aside
  13. Roll each ball, on the counter into a small roti.
  14. Do not make it very thin. The video gives you an estimation.
  15. Once all the rotis are rolled, set the girdle on medium heat.
  16. Keep the ghee ready.
  17. Keep a ladle ready, which can help you press and flip the tikla.
  18. Once the girdle is warm, put the roti on it. You can put as many rotis as you like, as long as there is place for them to be flipped and not bang into each other and break.
  19. Once the girdle down side is semi cooked (see video), flip it.
  20. Add ghee to the top and to the sides (see video)
  21. Poke holes with the same spoon. Do so gently. It just needs some air perforation and does not need to go all the way through totally.
  22. Keep pressing and flipping.
  23. Do so till both sides are caramel brown.
  24. At this point it will be soft. It will harden a little more when it cools down.
  25. Blot on a kitchen towel.
  26. Keep cleaning your girdle intermittently, before cooking another lot, otherwise the left over oil will smoke and char your tikla.
  27. Serve hot, with mirchi (green chilly) ka or nimbu (lemon) ka achaar (pickle)
Share this Recipe