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.)…
Seed Paté
Some time back, the husband and I started on a diet with Deepika, who works with Luke. She has been in touch with me on a daily basis, and I cannot convey in words how wonderful we both started feeling within weeks of our nutritional plan. Unlike other “dieticians” they don’t nail our heads to a wooden plank, if we cheat or if we don’t follow instructions to the hilt. It’s actually a slow gentle coaxing to start changing our lifestyle and eating habits. So many small issues like sleeplessness, bloating etc are taken care of, using natural home remedies. And I must say it works, because now I sleep like the proverbial log, and in the mornings the bed and I are like lovers – loathe to leave each other.
Without realising, we have now changed our eating habits. The old hogging days no longer appeal to us, and on a very elemental level, we have started opting for healthy, nutritious and wholesome meals. Overeating even a little bit makes us groan and moan unbelievably.
This diet takes care of us very holistically. Small ailments are sorted almost immediately. Over the period of a year, my blood pressure and cholesterol are within normal limits.They care for our mental, emotional and physical health. After all this, we cannot return back to our old ways of eating aimlessly and only for taste. I now look for recipes that are healthy but tasty. This Seed Paté is one of the many such recipes.
It’s a very versatile recipe. You don’t have to follow it the way it’s written. The dill can be replaced with coriander or any other herb of your choice. Please read the notes following the recipe, before making the Seed Paté.
It can be used in many different ways. Eat it like a sandwich, mix it in vegetables as a gravy, dip with pita, layered with a salad — the options are endless and left to your imagination.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Mixed Seeds (Mildly roasted) Pumpkin, Water melon, Melon, Sunflower, Flax, Sesame.
- 1/2 Cup Boiled Chickpeas
- 1/4 Cup Water from boiled Chickpeas
- 8 Cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 Tbspn Tahini
- 1 Tspn Dill
- 1 Tspn parsley
- 1 Tbspn Extra Virgin Olive oil
- 1/4 Tspn soya sauce gluten free or optional
- 1 Tbspn Black Pepper
- 1/2 Tspn salt
- 4 Slices Multigrain toast.
- 1 Tbspn Sesame seeds - roasted for garnish
- 1 Tbspn Extra virgin
Servings: pax
Instructions
- Put everything in a mixie and grind to a coarse mix.
- Don't over grind. You want a coarse texture. Even if some seeds are only partially ground, it's fine. That's what you want.
- Cut the bread slices into 1 inch broad fingers and toast till crisp.
- To serve, heap the paté on the toast and spread. It should be a thick layer.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and olive oil and serve immediately. Preparing too much in advance will make the toast soggy.
- The paté can also be had as a dip.
Recipe Notes
Seeds : You can use any of these seeds, or a mix of all. I have used Pumpkin, Water melon, Melon, Hemp and Sunflower.
Water: I have used the same water which was left over from boiling the chickpea. The left over water is thick, and sluggish and does not flow easily. This lends a heavy texture to the paté and does not make it runny. If for some reason, you are not using this water, you can use normal filtered water. BUT REDUCE THE QUANTITY. Use a little at a time. You will not need more than 1 - 2 Tbpsn max.
Herbs: The flavour of dill is very strong. But the quantity in the recipe is just enough to give you a hint of flavour. You can do away with dill altogether and increase the parsley. You can also replace it with coriander, or basil. It's totally up to you and your preference. But some herb definitely has to be used.
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Rum Wale Aloo – a la Ajit.
My friend Ajit invented this absolutely unusual recipe on the spot.
the husband and Ajit
We were all in Mahabaleshwar, wondering about the dinner menu. Naan and Kaali Dal were already in the picture, and he volunteered to make an Aloo (Potato) veggie. This jovial, happy – go – lucky, man waltzed into the kitchen at 10 am, fiddled around with pots and pans, and waltzed back out. Then at 7 pm, he took a stiff drink of whisky in his hand, asked for a bottle of rum, (leaving me wondering, as to how we will get him off the kitchen floor and into bed!!) and marched into the kitchen again. I confess to taking a few peeks into the kitchen, just to check if he was still standing. The one time I peeped in, I saw him drain the bottle of Rum into the pan of simmering potatoes. I heaved a sigh of relief, and went about my business grinning, impatiently waiting to taste these crazy Rum laden potatoes.
Rum Wale Aloo – a la Ajit
I really don’t need to tell you how good it was, because I know as soon as you read the recipe you will definitely want to try it at least once. After that, you will be hooked. And all those who eat it with you will be hooked. I have already made it thrice in a span of three weeks, and I am a very very happy person when mealtime arrives.
This dish takes a little bit of planning, a little bit of sweat and a great deal of Rum. I really suggest you make it just the way I have mentioned. Everything that Ajit, has put into this Rum Wale Aloo – a la Ajit – has a purpose and imparts some sort of flavour.
Get hold of the smallest potatoes you can. And please see that all of them are approximately the same size. This way, they will all cook uniformly.
Marinate it for an at least 6 hours. I did a huge boo boo, last week. I was asked to make this recipe for a friend’s party and so I marinated the potatoes, a night before to make it next morning, only to realise that I have miscalculated the dates. It was not due for yet another day. I just said a fervent prayer and popped the potatoes into the fridge and let it marinate for yet another 24 hours. So in all – 36 hours of deep marination. Whoa! It cooked faster, tasted bloody good and it did not smell like over worn socks.
So yay!! Go for it – marinate it for as long as you can.
Besides a long marinating time, it also takes a little while to cook. I would suggest good Jazz music in the background (Why Jazz? – well it just seems to set the right tone for this dish! All sultry and seductive. Something good waiting to happen!) A good drink in the hand, and a happy go – lucky nature like the inventor of this dish.
Oye Ajit – Cheers!!
Enjoying a Cigar, after hard days work.
Marinated for hours, drenched in black rum, cooked patiently on slow fire - to be eaten with grins and smiles!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6 pax | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 1 hour | 8 + hours |
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Marinated for hours, drenched in black rum, cooked patiently on slow fire - to be eaten with grins and smiles!
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Ingredients
Marinade for Potato
- 500 gm Baby Potato wash well and keep the skin on.
- 300 gm Curds
- 1 Tbspn garlic pound in mortar pestle
- 1 tspn Ginger pound in mortar pestle
- 1 Tbspn Green Chillies pound in mortar pestle
- 1 tspn Turmeric (haldi)
- 1 tspn Red Chilli Powder
- 1 tspn Corriander Powder (dhania powder)
- 1 Tbspn salt
- 2 tspn Lime Juice
Initial Tempering
- 4 Tbspn Mustard Oil (rai ka tel)
- 2 Pcs Bay Leaves (tej patta)
- 1 Pc Black Cardamom (badi elaichi)
- 15 / 20 Pcs Black Pepper whole
- 4 Pcs Clove (laung)
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 3 Pcs Kashmiri Red Chillies whole
Final Tempering and Ingredients
- 1 Tbspn Asafoetida (hing)
- 1 1/2 Cups onion Diced into long thick slices of appx 1/2 cm each
- 2 Tbspn garlic pound in mortar pestle
- 1 Tbspn Ginger pound in mortar pestle
- 2 Tbspn Green Chillies pound in mortar pestle
- 1 tspn Turmeric (haldi)
- 2 tspn Red Chilli Powder
- 1 Tbspn Corriander Powder (dhania powder)
- 1 Tbspn salt
- 1 Cup Dark Rum (old monk preferably)
- 1 Cup Tomato Puree
- 1 tspn Lime Juice
Garnish
- 1/4 Cup Corriander Leaves (dhania patta)
Servings: pax
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes very well. Poke holes in all the pcs, with a fork. Please see to it that all sides of the potato are poked
- Mix all the ingredients of the marinade into the curds. Mix well.
- Toss the potatoes into the marinade. Mix it well and keep covered in a refrigerator for 8 hours.
Making the final dish
- Pour the oil in a wok (kadhai), and set it on medium to high flame.
- When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the ingredients of the intitial tempering. Cover it so that the flavours retain within the oil
- In exactly 30 to 40 seconds, open the lid and take all the tempering material out. Leave the oil inside the wok.
- Reduce the flame.
- Add the hing, and within seconds add the onions.
- Fry onions really well. Keep stirring. They should become brown but not burnt. This will take appx 25 to 30 minutes.
- Pound the garlic, ginger and green chillies in a mortar pestle, and add to the onions.
- Add the turmeric, corriander powder, salt and red chilli powder as well.
- Fry well.
- Drain the potatoes from the marinade. Keep the marinade aside.
- Add the potatoes. Mix well.
- Cover the wok, and leave the potatoes to steam. This should take appx 25 to 30 minutes again.
- Keep mixing once in a while so that it does not stick to the wok.
- When the potatoes are cooked, take off the cover and add the marinade.
- Mix well and let the marinade dry up.
- All this while the fire should be at medium to low. Keep it this way.
- When the marinade has cooked and dried up add the rum. (finally!!)
- Let it cook coating the potatoes by stirring and tossing.
- The colour will turn black.
- When the rum reduces to half, add the lime juice and tomato puree.
- Toss and mix well.
- When the tomato cooks, take off the fire. You will know its cooked when it does not smell raw anymore.
- Garnish with corriander leaves and serve hot with any form of Roti.
Recipe Notes
This dish requires patience. But your patience will be well rewarded when your palate tastes the punch of rum with the soft but spicy potatoes.
Use the hing liberally. If its very good quality you may reduce it a little, but its store bought use the entire specified amount.
Be careful with the salt. The marinade already has salt, then you add some more while cooking.
Please use all the ingredients as specified. The longer you marinate the potatoes, the faster it will cook. If you want some gravy (this is just coated in the rum and onion gravy - not a runny gravy), then add appx 1 Cup of water in the end, after the tomato cooks. Give it a good boil and you are ready to go.
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Cucumber Boat Salad
Chilled Cucumber Boat Salad
The Daughter made another demand — I’m so pleased she has got into cooking! The chef in me feels fulfilled and the mom and me feel happy! 😛
I make this salad very often at home. It needs to be served really really chilled, so it is a good idea to make it a wee bit in advance.
It’s a messy salad though! Be prepared for a white moustache and a few drips down your chin! But it’s worth the dishevelled look you will sport while eating it.
Look for crisp cucumbers with a clean green interior. I always cut off the side of the cucumber and taste it before using it. Sometimes cucumbers can be very very bitter, and even one bitter cucumber in a salad of 20 cucumbers can spoil the entire dish. Taste it and throw it away if its bitter. (You can always chuck it in the compost pile of course!)
The yoghurt should be thick, so hang it for an hour or so if you want. There is zero neatness in this salad, so there really isn’t any right or wrong way to fill it. Slice the spring onions really thin and small. Garlic can be upped as per your taste. To my mind, too much garlic takes away the sweetness of the yoghurt and the original taste of the cucumber.
I add a little of chilli flakes, but you can always add some herbs too – parsley, thyme, oregano. Don’t use very strong herbs. Again – it takes away the original flavours.
The boats can get very wobbly, as the base is rounded. You can slice off a small part of the cucumber from the bottom to make a little steadier base. But – mostly, it will wobble and fall a little to the side, but if the yoghurt is not too drippy things should not slide out and drip into the plate.
I’m attaching a quick video for you.
I hope you enjoy this salad. Do write in.
As always – Cheers! and Happy Times!
Ingredients
- 2 large cucumbers peeled and slit lengthwise
- 1/2 cup hung curd or greek yoghurt
- 1 green oinion finely chopped with greens
- 1 tspn salt
- 1 tbspn garlic coarsely pounded
- 1 tspn Black Pepper
- 1 tspn chilli flakes
- 1 tspn herbs optional.
- 50 grams alfa alfa sprouts soaked in cold water
Servings: peopl
Instructions
- Peel and slit the cucumbers lengthwise.
- De seed the inner core using a spoon (see video) Chill in refrigerator till you need to fill it.
- Chop the green onions finely. Use all the whites and some of the greens
- Soak the alfa alfa in iced water, so that it untangles and the sprouts open up. Drain before using.
- In a clean bowl, mix the hung curd or greek yoghurt with all the other ingredients.
- Taking a small spoon, fill the cores of the cucumbers with the filling. A little will drip out. You can either leave it, or wipe it with a clean paper towel.
- Heap the sprouts on the yoghurt mix.
- This salad can be filled in advance, or just before eating. Either way, the filled boat, or the filling and cored cucumber should be in the refrigerator till served.
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Lettuce Wedge Salad
I first had Lettuce Wedge Salad, in London, in a restaurant called Roka. Of course, the restaurant has stayed a favourite, as has this salad. I would always, analyse it, gaze at it in wonder and awe, thinking I will replicate it in some manner. And – I would always forget.
The fresh crisp lettuce, perfect square wedges of stacked leaves, the immensely flavourful dressing – everything made it a favourite, of ordered a dish.
I went on a hunch, (because I was daunted by those perfect square wedges) and bought two fresh heads of lettuce. I had no idea how to cut it. No matter how many times I would visit the salad in my mind’s eye, knife in hand, I could not figure out how to cut it. I have no formal training in cuisine, so these skills are alien to me, till I figure them out.
With great trepidation, I cut the salad in half, vertically, root to the top of the head. Then I sank all the four heads in ice water, (more ice, less water) and left it to hydrate for approximately 30 minutes. Let me tell you what happened! The lettuce took in so much water, it took me another 10 minutes to drain it. But the lettuce was happy to have had that water. The leaves were crisp and clean.
Then I randomly chopped here and there, but the wedges were nowhere near perfect. I took a pause and really visualised, and them hit on the right technique.
This is how it is done.
Firstly – try not to use a metal knife. The metal in the knife oxidises the leaves and makes them look soggy. A plastic or ceramic knife works very well. I had bought a ceramic knife from Japan, Kyocera brand, and was warned that it could lop off my fingers if I am not careful. I use it very sparingly, because hey! I love my digits.
Now then on to the method –
I am going to be showing pics at every step because I am finding it very difficult to explain the process! Words are just not enough.
Chop the lettuce vertically, from the root to the top. (see pic below)
Cut from root to top.
Dunk in ice water, and drain well after 30 minutes.
Now take the chopped side, the side where you can see all the layer of leaves, and place that to your right. (see pic below)
The side which is cut, keep it to your right
Then, take three, (if you have a larger head of lettuce then take four or five) long wooden barbecue sticks, (they should be larger than cocktail toothpicks – about 4 to 5 inches long) and leaving an inch from the side of the cut side of the lettuce, poke them at 1 and 1/2 inches interval. This is done 90 Deg from the cut side of the lettuce, and not parallel to the root and cut side of the lettuce. (see pic below)
Stick bbq sticks into the lettuce
The cutting will happen from the non-cut side of the lettuce. The one which is the root side and on your left. The opposite side of the cut side of the lettuce. (see pic below)
This from where you will cut a large wedge
Taking your knife and leaving an inch from the uncut side of the lettuce, cut off the part with the toothpick inserts. The toothpick inserts should now be all in a row, and the large wedge should have separated from the main head of lettuce. (see pic below)
Slice of the entire strip with the bbq sticks
Now, just lop off individual wedges, seeing that you get as close to a square as possible. (see pic below)
Cut off individual wedges.
Trim the wayward leaves, and push the stack of cut lettuce wedge further into the stick.
Garnish, turning it all around.
Garnish well – rotating all sides.
Serve Chilled.
Lettuce wedge salad with Japanese sesame oil dressing
Ingredients
- 2 heads lettuce fresh
For the dressing
- 6 Tbspn Sesame oil
- 2 Tbspn light soya sauce
- 2 Tspn White wine vinegar
- 1.5 Tspn salt
- 3.5 Tbspn garlic Minced
- 2 Red thai , or bird's eye chilly dried or fresh
- 3/4th Tspn Black Pepper ground
Last garnish
- 2.5 Tbspn Sesame Seeds Roasted
Servings: people
Instructions
- Chop the lettuce vertically, from the root to the top.
- Dunk in ice water, and drain well after 30 minutes.
- Now take the chopped side, the side where you can see all the layer of leaves, and place that to your right.
- Then, take three, (if you have a larger head of lettuce then take four or five) long wooden barbecue sticks, (they should be larger than cocktail toothpicks - about 4 to 5 inches long) and leaving an inch from the side of the cut side of the lettuce, poke them at 1 and 1/2 inches interval. This is done 90 Deg from the cut side of the lettuce, and not parallel to the root and cut side of the lettuce.
- The cutting will happen from the non cut side of the lettuce. The one which is the root side and on your left. The opposite side of the cut side of the lettuce.
- Taking your knife and leaving an inch from the uncut side of the lettuce, cut off the part with the toothpick inserts. The toothpick inserts should now be all in a row, and the large wedge should have separated from the main head off lettuce.
- Now, just lop off individual wedges, seeing that you get as close to a square as possible.
- Trip the wayward leaves, and push the wedges little further into the bbq stick.
- Repeat the same way with the balance left over lettuce head.
- if serving later, keep covered, in ice water.
Sesame oil dressing
- Mix all the ingredients and give it a good whisk.
Finishing
- Rotate the lettuce wedges, and drizzle dressing generously.
- Serve Chilled. Garnish with sesame seeds just before serving.
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Beer Battered Onion Rings
First and foremost let me be fiercely profuse in my apologies for just disappearing. I spent 3 weeks running around Europe having a mad time. First two weeks with my girlfriends in Ireland, and then with the husband and another couple in Germany. It was a sabbatical of enormous proportions.
The super special girls’ trip.
Our farm in Mahabaleshwar is well on its way to being planted. The rains were particularly vicious this year. We lost many trees and shrubs. But well, that’s the ebb and flow of life, and we are looking forward to some organic, homegrown fruits and vegetables.
I had my best friend over in Mahabaleshwar, and we kindled up the wood-fired oven and made ourselves some pizza. I make the dough using fresh yeast. When it is nice and plumply risen, I roll out small rounds and give it an initial dance into the fire. Once it’s mildly pre-cooked, I add the pizza sauce, cheese and toppings and send it for another jig. As a result, I get thin – and I mean ultra thin pizzas, with a crunchy crisp bite.
Nishi and me.
This time around, the wood was still wet from the rains. The fire would not catch, the hearth would not heat and the pizzas would just not pre-cook. After a few exasperated tries (the dough was rising, and would have spoilt) I picked up the rolled out pizza dough and flipped it straight into the flames.
I heard a collective gasp from my helpers. One started dancing on his feet, saying “ It will burn, it will burn”. I just grinned and took a tong and flipped it over to let it cook the other side. All this took just a few seconds. And out came the most fantastic precooked pizza. It had blown up like a pita bread, but the results were sooooo good. Crunchy, with oozing melting cheese which stuck to our palates and teeth.
beer battered onion rings
What I am trying to say here is cooking is an art – agreed, but it is also instinct. When I give cooking classes, I always tell my students, don’t think too much. If you want to substitute an ingredient with another do it. If you want to increase the heat do it. There is no right or wrong in cooking. Some person somewhere must have had jam with goat’s cheese and then started the trend of serving preserves with cheese. To my taste buds – nothing tastes better!
beer battered onion rings with a sprinkling of chaat masala
Enjoy the beer battered onion rings. These are my favourite fried snack, and my kids love them.
Darned easy to make. Just a little planning, as the onions have to marinate at least for two hours before they can be fried.
I make a quick fix, cheat sauce with these onion rings. They taste way better than, some store-bought sauce (though mine is a mix of store bought sauces :P) The fried ring, with the tart hot sauce gives it an amazing balance. Of course, you can substitute it with any other sauce of your choice. But do give my recipe a fair chance too.
beer battered onion rings and a chilled beer
Baking powder is a crucial ingredient in this recipe, so don’t try to substitute or do away with it. It is what gives the onion rings the crisp and crunchy texture when mixed with a beer in the batter.
My friend and me feasted on them, in Mahabaleshwar. Hope you like them too – PS: they go really well with chilled beer!!!
Ingredients
For the onion rings
- 2 large onions peeled and diced into 1 cm thick rings
- 2 cups beer - larger appx 1 pint
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- 1 tspn salt
- 1 tspn Black Pepper crushed
For the batter
- 3/4 cup corn starch or corn flour
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour (maida)
- 1 plus cup beer appx 1/2 pint
- 1 tspn Baking Powder
- 1 tspn salt
- 1 tspn Red chilly flakes crushed
other stuff
- Milk for frying
- 2 tbspn Chaat masala
- deep pan for frying
- tongs for frying
- kitchen towel for drying the onion rings before frying
Quick Cheat Sauce
- 2 tbspn Ketchup
- 1 tbspn hot sauce Use any. Even Tobassco is good.
- 1/2 tspn soya sauce
- 1 tspn garlic finely minced
- 1 tspn Black Pepper
Servings: people
Instructions
To make the marinade
- Mix all the ingredients of the marinade in a vessel.
- Pull out all the rings of onions from the diced rounds. Each onion should be separated. The ring should be whole, without any cuts.
- Submerge the rings into the beer marinade and refrigerate for minimum 2 hours, and a maximum of 4 hours.
To make the batter
- Add all ingredients of the batter in a bowl
- The batter should be thick and should fall with a plop when dropped from a spoon.
- Give the batter a good mix with a whisk. It should have no lumps.
- Make this batter just before you need to fry the onion rings.
For frying the rings
- Pour oil into the non stick and heat well on slow to medium flame. It should not start smoking. If it does, let it cool down before popping in the onion rings.
- Wipe each ring, using a kitchen towel or a good quality paper napkin. Each ring should be completely dry.
- Dip one ring at a time, into the batter. Give it a quick flick to take off extra batter.
- Drop the ring into the hot oil.
- Work quickly and put in as many onions as you can, till the pan fills up.
- After appx 30 seconds (or when the batter looks well fried) turn the rings, using the tong, so that the other side can fry.
- Pick out the fried rings with the tong and place on a paper napkin to drain off excess oil. You can press it down slightly (not too hard) with another towel to drain off more oil.
- Sprinkle some chaat masala and serve hot, with the cheat sauce.
For the sauce
- Add all ingredients together and mix well.
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Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Our trip to Japan was largely about Japanese food. Tofu meals, Zen meals and meals in the temple. We all developed a love and respect for Tofu and all its variations. This one restaurant that we went to and which was purely fusion was Rigoletto, in the Roppongi area of Tokyo. They had very few choices for vegetarians, but all of them were sumptuous.
I made the garlic mashed potatoes for my husband’s birthday. It was a smashing hit.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Yeah yeah, it has a lot of calories and all that. But hey! it is really tasty. And you gotta cheat once in a while right? How else will you enjoy life?
The potatoes have to be boiled and later mashed along with all the other ingredients. The entire mixture can be a heavy load for most blenders. Even mine protested mightily but held its own. By no means am I proclaiming Technora blenders to be the best, but where I am concerned it has stood the test of time and use. I love their inbuilt stirrer. I don’t have to open the lid and stir the food, I can do it while the blending is on. Pure genius.
This is a copycat recipe, so my imagination can take no credit for it. But I added a twist to its story, by cooking it in an earthen bowl. It wasn’t coated inside with any kind of ceramic polish. Just pure earthenware. So when the garlic mashed potatoes cooked, the flavour and fragrance of the natural clay seeped into the potato, giving it that extra kick and twist.
Wash the earthenware once and dry it in the sun if you can. Fill the mashed goodness, add dollops of butter, garnish and bake. It’s a quick and easy recipe, and I shall become famous – because everyone is going to ask you for this recipe.
😉
Have fun guys – I promise you a piece of heaven!
Ciao!
Ingredients
To Garnish before cooking.
- 25 Grams garlic
- 1/2 Tspn olive oil
- 1/8 Tspn salt (basically a pinch!)
- 1 Tbspn Finely chopped parsley
- 1 Tbspn Red Chilli Flakes
- 30 Grams Butter Softened.
Accessories
- Potato Ricer
- Heavy Duty Blender
- oven 150 Deg C
- 15 Earthen pots for serving (optionally baking dishes can be used)
- Spatula
Servings: pieces
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes.
- Once the potatoes are boiled, peel and run it through the ricer.
- Add all the ingredients for the potatoes and load it into the blender.
- Blend well. You might have to do it in parts. It should have no lumps.
Garnish
- While the potato is boiling, peel the garlic meant for the garnish. Slice the garlic into thin slivers.
- Rub the olive oil and salt on it and pop into the oven. Bake for appx 10 minutes, till it is dehydrated and a wee bit brown. You don't want to make it crisp and completely baked
Final Dish
- Ladle the mixture in the earthen ware / baking dish, garnish with parsley, chilli flakes and the par baked garlic.
- Add dollops of butter (the one kept aside for the garnish) on all sides and slide into the oven.
- Bake for 10 minutes. First the butter will melt and then cook and infuse into the potato. When the butter sizzles, and the garlic on top looks browned, take out and serve hot.
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