THE RECIPE LARDER

Cheesy paprika beans – by Rekha

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Cheesy paprika beans - by Rekha
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A quick easy and super tasty recipe by Rekha, one if my favourite cooks in this whole wide world. Best part about this recipe is that it can be used as a dip or a main.
Servings Prep Time
6 pax 15 min
Cook Time
10 min
Servings Prep Time
6 pax 15 min
Cook Time
10 min
Cheesy paprika beans - by Rekha
Print Recipe
A quick easy and super tasty recipe by Rekha, one if my favourite cooks in this whole wide world. Best part about this recipe is that it can be used as a dip or a main.
Servings Prep Time
6 pax 15 min
Cook Time
10 min
Servings Prep Time
6 pax 15 min
Cook Time
10 min
Ingredients
Servings: pax
Instructions
  1. Char the corn, pepper and jalapeno.
  2. Take the corn kernels off.
  3. Chop the charred peppers and jalapeno and keep aside.
  4. Skin and finely chop the tomaotes.
  5. In a pan, add the oil. When hot add the onions and saute for a bit till onions are translucent
  6. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute till a bit brown.
  7. Add the chopped green chillies and saute again.
  8. Now add the chilli paste and saute once for for appx 2 minutes.
  9. Add the skinned tomatoes, and saute till it becomes a bit pulpy and mashed. Add water and let it cook till completely mush. Add the salt.
  10. Add the charred and chopped peppers and the jalapeno and saute for a bit.
  11. Now add the corn and mix well.
  12. Then add the cheese and stir till it melts completely and incorporates with the other ingredients.
  13. Add the olives stir and turn off the fire.
  14. Add the beans and mix and incorporate everything together.
  15. This can be served on toast, on cream cracker or salted biscuits, on sourdough etc. Can be served as a starter or a main dish.
Recipe Notes

 

My mami (Rekha) is my backbone and my best friend. All that I have learnt in cooking and about cooking is from her. She has this fabulous gift – she opens her pantry cupboard, randomly pulls out ingredients and makes the most amazing dish you could never have thought of. Some ingredients you would not even imagine cohabiting well together. And the best part is that all these dishes are simple, and can be made really quickly. What I find most amazing is that she rarely ever repeats any dish!

For this post, I asked her to come up with one of her creations. We were in Mahabaleshwar, with odds and ends and luckily I had all the things she wanted for this dish. I tried it and it was as usual flawless.

 

At this point, when things are going all over the place, I really want to express my gratitude for having her in my life. We have had such wild, hilarious and at times intense moments together. Life has been very good because she existed in it. Her laughter is so infectious, her dancing so enjoyable and she sparkles wherever she goes.

I love you mami, and may we do more wild things together soon!

 

About the recipe :

Char the corn and peppers very lightly. We don’t want black stuff coming onto the dish. The purpose of charring is to draw out the juices and not burn it. Once charred, scrape off the few black skins that have burnt completely.

Olives gave an excellent tang to the dish. If you don’t have sliced olives, just pit the ones you have and slice them. Add them last like I have shown in the recipe. It does not cook and leaves the slight sour and crisp taste at every bite.

Skinning the tomatoes is a must. It mashes super well into the mix and leaves behind no fiber. It looks better also, than pieces of skin floating around in a otherwise neat looking, colourful dish.

Jalapeno is optional if you don’t like heat. But do not reduce quantities of any other ingredients.

It can act as a main dish, just serve with toast. Or serve it on cream cracker biscuits or on sourdough. Garnish with some chilly flakes and I would also recommend a hint of finely chopped chives.

Any cheese which melts and does not clump is good. I used normal Britannia cheese mixed with a little left over Britannia Cheeza (pizza cheese mix).

 

The Trick: in this recipe is that, each time you add an ingredient, sauté it for a bit. Take your time, the flavours just swell up and burst.

I hope you like this recipe. Do tag us on our insta page. #therecipelarder

PS: the dish in the video and pictures were made on two different days. Same recipe - different cheese.

Cheers!

YOUTUBE LINK to recipe :   https://youtu.be/uXKI5UPpY-s

 

 

Recipe Video here:

 

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Soong Dal

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It’s that time of the year when Mahabaleshwar beckons, with its myriad sunsets, fresh fragrant strawberries and over powering array of flowers. We had ourselves farm fresh and organic vegetables just off the farm.

 

Since we do not use fertilisers or pesticides of any kind, we pluck off cherry tomatoes and radish straight from the Canadian pharmacy plants and merrily munch it on the go!

fresh off the farm.

For a day and a half, we were just mom and son! We ate, drank and had some crazy conversations.

We both wanted something a bit healthy for our brain doping lunch, and anyways friends who love this dish have been asking for the recipe. So we decided to make it and blog it.

This is a super healthy snack.  I sometimes have it as the lonesome dish for dinner too. It’s super filling, high in protein and very very healthy. It does not sit in your tummy, but leaves you feeling full and satiated. The tangy, spicy flavour makes it soooo very edible and tasty.

I optionally also add finely chopped raw mango (kairi) to it and reduce the lemon a wee bit. You can play around with it as you like. Reduce the spice, increase it (yaay!), add onions, take off the coconut, add a dash of green chutney!!! Just go for it. Not much can destroy this dish!

Add to it a dhokla mix, or to some other chaat item. Serve it mixed with broken idli and podi chutney. Let your creativity flow and do tell me also how you played with it!

Soong dal goes amazingly well with drinks. But serve it chilled. Like – absolutely and totally chilled. If you think of heating it – u might as well eat dal. So DO NOT HEAT this dish!!

Have fun! Cheers!

 

PS: Here is the video shoot we did for the Soong Dal. It’s very basic and rustic, as is the kitchen in our farm.


Soong Dal
Print Recipe
A healthy and tasty snack. Super with drinks.
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 5 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
5 minutes 4 hours
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 5 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
5 minutes 4 hours
Soong Dal
Print Recipe
A healthy and tasty snack. Super with drinks.
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 5 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
5 minutes 4 hours
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 5 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
5 minutes 4 hours
Ingredients
Servings: pax
Instructions
  1. Wash and soak the yellow moong dal for 4 hours.
  2. Drain the water, rinse the dal and keep on a draining sieve for appx 20 minutes, so that no water is left.
  3. Once the water has drained, get the tadka ready. Keep the moong dal in a mixing bowl.
  4. In a tadka pan, add the oil.
  5. When hot, add the mustard seeds.
  6. When spluttering, add the hing and finally the curry leaves.
  7. All the curry leaves should splatter, so mix it with a spoon once, while still on the fire.
  8. Take off the fire and put it on the moong dal.
  9. Now add the salt, chopped corriander, coconut and green chillies (and optionally the raw mango)
  10. Lastly squeeze in the lemon juice.
  11. Mix well.
  12. Serve completely chilled.
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Puffed Rice (Kurmura) Poha

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It was evening, and hunger pangs were making our stomach growl furiously. There was no time to make a time consuming snack, we all wanted something healthy and not too heavy. (The dinner menu looked very mouth wateringly promising!).

Rekha, our house keeper jumped to the rescue of our collective moaning tummies. She quickly chopped some onions, made a tadka of spices and curry leaves, took a large helping of puffed rice and to my astonishment, dumped it in a sieve and ran it under running water for a good 3 to 4 minutes.

By now I should not be surprised and astounded by the different ways and methods people around me cook. Rekha and my cousins and family continuously come up with new techniques and unique mixes. My last post was one such experience.

As recipes go, this one is the easiest, quickest snack you can make. You can make the onion mixture ahead of time and soak and mix the puffed rice (kurmura) just before serving.

Most of the ingredients are normally available in all Indian house holds, so there is no need to go rushing to the nearest grocer to buy something. You can of course make it spicer, more sour, add garlic … there is no end to how you can play around with the dish.

On this note, let me announce with the greatest of excitement that I have started my own Youtube channel. Its called The Recipe Larder, same as this blog.

The youtube video link to this recipe is available here. It shows you the step by step method of making this recipe. Do subscribe for more off beat recipes.

Hope you end up making this. Do send me pics!!  Cheers! and Ciao!

PS: please tag therecipelarder on istagram, if you wish to share your pics.

Puffed Rice (Kurmura) Poha
Print Recipe
A quick, easy and healthy snack made with puffed rice (kurmura).
Servings Prep Time
3/4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Servings Prep Time
3/4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Puffed Rice (Kurmura) Poha
Print Recipe
A quick, easy and healthy snack made with puffed rice (kurmura).
Servings Prep Time
3/4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Servings Prep Time
3/4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: pax
Instructions
  1. Dry roast, remove the skin and coarsely crush the peanuts.
  2. Keep aside
  3. Grate the coconut and keep aside.
  4. In a pan, add the oil.
  5. When hot add the mustard seeds.
  6. When the splutter, add the chopped onions.
  7. Fry for a bit, then add the curry leaves.
  8. Fry for a few minutes more. When the onion becomes translucent, add the green chillies.
  9. Add the turmeric powder and salt and fry well.
  10. Shut the flame and keep this mixture aside.
  11. When you want to serve it, put all the puffed rice into a sieve and wash for 3 to 5 minutes under running water.
  12. tightly squeeze all the water out and keep the soaked puff rice aside.
  13. Before serving, add the puffed rice to the onion mixture. (you don't have to start the fire at this point)
  14. Add the peanuts, grated coconut, coriander leaves and lemon juice.
  15. Mix well and serve immediately.
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Matar Ka Nimona

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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.
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One Pot Chole Chawal

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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….

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Rum Wale Aloo – a la Ajit.

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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.

 

 

 

Rum Wale Aloo - a la Ajit
Print Recipe
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
Servings Prep Time
6 pax 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 hour 8 + hours
Rum Wale Aloo - a la Ajit
Print Recipe
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
Servings Prep Time
6 pax 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 hour 8 + hours
Ingredients
Marinade for Potato
Initial Tempering
Final Tempering and Ingredients
Garnish
Servings: pax
Instructions
  1. 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
  2. Mix all the ingredients of the marinade into the curds. Mix well.
  3. Toss the potatoes into the marinade. Mix it well and keep covered in a refrigerator for 8 hours.
Making the final dish
  1. Pour the oil in a wok (kadhai), and set it on medium to high flame.
  2. 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
  3. In exactly 30 to 40 seconds, open the lid and take all the tempering material out. Leave the oil inside the wok.
  4. Reduce the flame.
  5. Add the hing, and within seconds add the onions.
  6. Fry onions really well. Keep stirring. They should become brown but not burnt. This will take appx 25 to 30 minutes.
  7. Pound the garlic, ginger and green chillies in a mortar pestle, and add to the onions.
  8. Add the turmeric, corriander powder, salt and red chilli powder as well.
  9. Fry well.
  10. Drain the potatoes from the marinade. Keep the marinade aside.
  11. Add the potatoes. Mix well.
  12. Cover the wok, and leave the potatoes to steam. This should take appx 25 to 30 minutes again.
  13. Keep mixing once in a while so that it does not stick to the wok.
  14. When the potatoes are cooked, take off the cover and add the marinade.
  15. Mix well and let the marinade dry up.
  16. All this while the fire should be at medium to low. Keep it this way.
  17. When the marinade has cooked and dried up add the rum. (finally!!)
  18. Let it cook coating the potatoes by stirring and tossing.
  19. The colour will turn black.
  20. When the rum reduces to half, add the lime juice and tomato puree.
  21. Toss and mix well.
  22. When the tomato cooks, take off the fire. You will know its cooked when it does not smell raw anymore.
  23. 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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Cheese Toast

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Cheese toast with Cucumbers, onions and green chillies

Cheese toast with Cucumbers, onions and green chillies

Whats so special about cheese toast? For me — very special, because my grandmom used to make it the minute I entered her house. It was my absolute favourite and I still have it when I need some comforting.

Why is it special for you? Because it’s not just a cheese toast. It is many other things clinging to the cheese. Cucumbers, onion, green chillies….

My grandmom (Nani) was an amazing cook. Hell- she was an amazing lady. We lost her a few years ago, and that hole will never fill up. But the memories now make me smile and laugh and sometimes shed a tear or two. Always perfectly coiffured, immaculately dressed, Nani taught me everything I seem to know to survive and exist.

my perfect grand mom

my perfect grandmom and me

She decided she must perfect her English, so she grabbed hold of a teacher and started reading and understanding books I would not read unless I had an exam on it. She borrowed some money from her husband, learnt how to dabble in stocks, and struck gold. Then she decided she should help the underprivileged kids for education, so she opened an NGO, which now runs 2 schools and 1 vocational training centre. We used to get sweets as treats every year when the school results were declared.

When I made the cheese toast recently, the smell emanating from the oven, gave me a huge wave of nostalgia. I was thrown back into her house where I practically grew up.

open cheese toast

open cheese toast

The heavenly very soothing and reassuring fragrance of my favourite food, unlimited coke, my Nani’s gorgeous smile, those days spent learning how to walk, speak, garden, just about everything that a kid needs to feel loved and wanted. I know she is with me, when I cook when I eat and when I hug my loved ones.

my nani's special cheese toast

my nani’s special cheese toast

I make many of her recipes, but this one has a special place in my heart. It can be a complete meal on its own, or just pair it with soup- serve it as an appetiser. However, you use it – don’t forget to derive comfort from the melting cheese and crunchy cucumbers and onion as it hits your palate.

And Hey!! Go hug your grandmom right now!! Life is full of small pleasures!

cheese toast

cheese toast

 

 

Cheese Toast
Print Recipe
Melting cheese with a heavy dose of cucumbers and love.
Servings Prep Time
2 slices 10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Servings Prep Time
2 slices 10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Cheese Toast
Print Recipe
Melting cheese with a heavy dose of cucumbers and love.
Servings Prep Time
2 slices 10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Servings Prep Time
2 slices 10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Ingredients
Servings: slices
Instructions
  1. Slater the bread slices with butter and keep aside
  2. Pre heat oven to 150 Deg C
  3. Grate cucumber and squeeze out the water.
  4. Chop onions finely.
  5. Add all ingredients together and give it a good mix.
  6. Spread the cheese mix on the toast and bake in hot oven till cheese melts.
  7. Cut into squares and serve hot with ketchup or chilli sauce.
Recipe Notes

You can increase or decrease the spice level to your liking, but don't do away with it altogether.

Enjoy!

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