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Corn Pulao

March 29, 2018 By appu 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.
  • CourseMain Course
  • CuisineIndian
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.
  • CourseMain Course
  • CuisineIndian
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
  • 1/4 Cup Mustard Oil (sarson ka tel)
  • 1 Black Cardamom (kaali elaichi)
  • 3 Green Cardamom (hari elaichi)
  • 1 Cinanmon Small piece (dalchini)
  • 2 Bay Leaves (tej patta)
  • 3/4 Cloves (laung)
  • 3/4 Black Pepper Whole (aakhi kaali mirchi)(optional)
  • 1/3 Cup onion Finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 Tbspn Ginger Garlic Paste (or chopped garlic and ginger)
  • 1 Tspn Turmeric powder (haldi)
  • 1 1/2 Tspn Corriander Powder (dhania powder)
  • 1 1/2 Tspn red chilly powder (lal mirchi powder)
  • 1 1/2 Tspn Cumin Powder (jeera)
  • 2 Cups Corn raw
  • 1 Tspn Asafoetida (hing) - diluted in 2/3 tbspn water
  • 1/3 Cup Yoghurt (dahi, curds)
  • 1 1/2 Cups Rice raw, Soaked for 30 minutes
  • 1 tspn Fresh Corriander (dhania patti)
  • 2/3 Cups Water
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.
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Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch Tagged With: cold pressed oil, corn, earthy, family meals, farm fresh, fragrance, fresh corn, fresh from the farm, garlic, healthy, high fibre, home cooked meals, indian, indian meals, organic, Pulao, Rice, spices, vegetarian

Guacamole

February 12, 2018 By appu Leave a Comment

avocado and all other ingredients ready and prepped for mashing

To be very frank, I’m not a huge fan of Guacamole. Actually not a huge fan of Avocado either. The son, daughter and husband love it though!!

My son is on a full blown -I am going to build my body, and eat healthy – kind of streak, and he makes a lot of Guacamole, or Guac as the kids call it.

This here, is his recipe. Quick and super easy, and very filling. He made it for me last winter when he was here on holidays, and though my eyes don’t start shining in emotional gratefulness at the sight of Guac, I did dip a couple of nachos into it and I must say I was thoroughly impressed with it.

Avocado is not easily available where I stay. It grows in abundance in Bangalore, but the taste, texture and flavour is not as good as the one available in California.  When I went to spend sometime with my daughter in San Jose – California, I accompanied her to the super market. My eyes popped out, seeing the gigantic heaps of Avocado, spilling on to the floor, overflowing from their baskets. And the price!! Oh! Boy, it was being sold for peanuts.

I wanted to take back a few with me to India, but my kid gave me a fairly accurate description of the way it would get squashed and then get in between my clothes and when I would try to pull them clothes out, I would have slimy, gooey flesh smeared on my hands ….. you get the gist, don’t you?! Disheartened I gave up the idea, but began a hunt in Bombay for good Avocados. It was quite a task. They would be either underdone or over ripe and always, always very expensive.

I finally found a store, and now I get ripe to be eaten – the day I want – type of Avocado whenever I so please. It’s still a tad expensive, but it’s exotic fruit (yes Avocado is a fruit!) in India, and we pay for the glamour.

Do try out this recipe. It’s super easy and actually mashing the fruit – I found it kind of stress relieving.

avocados

http://therecipelarder.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/guac-converted-with-Clipchamp.mp4

Storage

Guac gets black very fast, as it starts oxidising when exposed to oxygen in the air. Lemon helps keep its colour, but it still needs further help. As such it’s best to make Guac just before serving, but it’s not always possible. To store Guac without letting the exposure affect it, store in a air tight box, or in a bowl, and cover with cling film, letting the cling film stick right on top of the guac. When you serve the guac, you will have to scrape the guac off the cling film, but it’s worth the effort.

If you want to use only one half of the fruit, retain the stone (seed), push it back into the cavity of the left over half, and cling film it tightly and keep refrigerated. This helps to a certain level, but eventually you better consume the fruit as soon as you can.

Cheers! to good fat!

 

 

 

 

Guacamole
Print Recipe
Quick and easy recipe for a healthy snack.
  • CourseAppetizer, Snack
  • CuisineMexican
Servings Prep Time
3/4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Servings Prep Time
3/4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Guacamole
Print Recipe
Quick and easy recipe for a healthy snack.
  • CourseAppetizer, Snack
  • CuisineMexican
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
  • 1 Ripe Avocado
  • 2 Tbspn onions Finely chopped
  • 1 Tspn Sea Salt
  • 1 Tspn Jalapeno Chillies Fresh and finely chopped, (or any other spicy green chilly)
  • 1/2 Tspn Paprika
  • 2 Tspn Cumin Powder (jeera)
  • 2 Tspn Black Pepper Coarsely ground
  • 2 Tspn Fresh Corriander roughly chopped
  • 2 - 3 Tspn lemon juice
  • 1-2 cloves garlic optional
Servings: pax
Instructions
  1. Cut the Avocado from the stem to the root, slicing the fruit into two
  2. Pull apart the two ends, and scoop out the seed with a spoon.
  3. Using a sharp knife, make horizontal and vertical slits into the flesh of the fruit.
  4. Now scoop out the flesh with a spoon, scraping into the skin of the fruit.
  5. Put all the flesh into a bowl.
  6. Add all the ingredients into the bowl with the avocado, and start pulverising with a fork. First break down the fruit and then start mashing the rest of the ingredients with the avocado.
  7. Lastly add the lemon juice and mix some more.
  8. Voila - it's ready to serve with nacho chips.
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Filed Under: Cocktail Parties, Snacks Tagged With: avacado, foodfad, garlic, glutenfree, goodfat, guac, guacamole, healthy, healthyfat, healthysnack, highfibre, mexican, nachos, nogluten, snack, tortillas, Vegan, vegetarian

Basil Pesto and Pesto Pasta

January 10, 2018 By appu 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.
  • CourseMain Course, Main Dish, Sauces and Jams
  • CuisineItalian
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.
  • CourseMain Course, Main Dish, Sauces and Jams
  • CuisineItalian
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 pax 10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Ingredients
Pesto
  • 1 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves packed
  • 1/2 Cup Walnuts toasted
  • 1/4 Cup garlic Peeled
  • 1 1/2 tspn Sea Salt
  • 10 pcs Black Pepper
  • 1 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
Pasta
  • 1/2 Packet Pasta Boiled
  • 1/2 Cup Exrtra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 4/5 Cherry Tomatoes for garnishing, optional.
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.
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Filed Under: Dinner, Healthy, Lunch, Sauces Tagged With: basil, black pepper, comfort food, farm to table, fragrant, fresh, garlic, healthy, italian, organic, parmesan cheese, pasta, quikc dish, virgin olive oil, walnuts

Kachcha Sambhar (raw sambhar)

August 25, 2016 By appu 4 Comments

kachcha sambhar

I was all set to meet the husband for a romantic lunch, but Bangalore being crowded, overpopulated, Bangalore, the traffic was such that it was either the lunch or the airport. And that airport had a plane parked which was going to take us to Goa! So really there was no dispute, the airport on time – it was.

 

I surprised our caretaker with a lunch request. She wasn’t prepared to make anything since I had announced gleefully about my romantic plans. So she hemmed and hawed, wondering what to make. (And I was feeling fussy about food that day!) Her husband (I have mentioned him before in my blogs. He is a complete foodie- for which I am eternally grateful!) Well her husband suggested “Kachcha Sambhar” in his typical local accent. It took him three repeats of the word before I realised that is what he actually meant. Raw Sambhar.

I have learnt to experiment and sometimes leave the suggestions to the experts. AND I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. In fact, I was in food paradise. Every spoonful going in was ambrosia. Now I love garlic, and I love spice, and the most fun part was it has not one drop of oil!! Perfect right??

We did take off to Goa, and we had an amazing time, caught up in that leftover romance and all that! 😛 But I raved and raved about the Kachcha Sambhar, and he finally told me to use other methods to turn him on!! ( 😛 we are a foodie family!!)

Here is the recipe — the tomatoes have to be burnt — burnt black on a high flame. Wait for it to cool, and skim the skin off. Please do wait for it to cool — this way the skin comes off and does not leave small pieces of black burnt skin behind. We don’t want any black stuff in the sambhar. Same goes for the green chilly.

This is a very spicy dish. Deseeding the chilly reduces the spice. If you want it less spicy, reduce the quantity of the chilly, but don’t delete it completely. That would be a SIN! and Karma will pay you back!!

Tastes absolutely amazing with rice and a bland veggie. I love it with chilla. You make your own combinations and message me.

I was on the floor worshipping this dish! Hope you like it too!

Ciao!!

 

 

 

 

 

Kachcha Sambhar (raw sambhar)
Print Recipe
Quick, elegant and earth shatteringly tasty!
  • CourseSide Dish
  • CuisineSouth Indian
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Passive Time
5 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Passive Time
5 minutes
Kachcha Sambhar (raw sambhar)
Print Recipe
Quick, elegant and earth shatteringly tasty!
  • CourseSide Dish
  • CuisineSouth Indian
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Passive Time
5 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 5 minutes
Passive Time
5 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 tomatoes large size
  • 1 Green Chilly medium spicy
  • 1 tspn salt
  • 1 tbsn + tspn onions very very finely chopped
  • 1 Tspn garlic very very finely chopped
  • 1 tbspn corriander roughly torn
  • 1.5 Cups Water Clean, filtered.
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Burn the tomato over high flame. Tomato should be rotated. It should char completely.
    Burn the tomato over high flame. Tomato should be rotated. It should char completely.
  2. Burn the green chilly over high flame. Rotate and burn till completely charred.
  3. Let the tomato and chilly cool.
  4. When cooled, peel the black skin off the tomato and discard.
  5. Wash your hands so that no black stuff sticks back on the peeled tomato
  6. Chop as finely as possible. This reduces the time required later while pureeing with hand blender.
  7. Peel the black layer of the green chilly. Deseed the chilly. (This is very important)
  8. Chop the chilly into small pieces.
  9. To a pot, add the tomatoe, green chilly, salt and water. Mix well with a hand blender. No large pieces of tomato should be left.
  10. There will be a few small pieces of tomato floating around, let them be.
  11. Transfer contents to a serving bowl, add onions, garlic and garnish with corrinader. Serve cold.
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Filed Under: Sides Tagged With: garlic, no oil, onion, puree, quick and easy, sambhar, tomatoes, vegetarian

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

June 14, 2016 By appu 2 Comments

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

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.

garlic potatoes

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!

garlic mashed potatoes 2

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Print Recipe
Served in earthen ware, so the smells and flavours infuse into one good yummy dish!
  • CourseBrunch, Side Dish
  • CuisineFusion
Servings Prep Time
12 pieces 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 minutes 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
12 pieces 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 minutes 10 minutes
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Print Recipe
Served in earthen ware, so the smells and flavours infuse into one good yummy dish!
  • CourseBrunch, Side Dish
  • CuisineFusion
Servings Prep Time
12 pieces 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 minutes 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
12 pieces 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 minutes 10 minutes
Ingredients
For the potatoe
  • 1 Kg potatoes Starchy "Russet" are the best.
  • 500 Grams Cream
  • 75 Grams Butter Softened
  • 100 Grams garlic Mildly crushed
  • 2 Tspn salt
  • 10 Grams Black Pepper Coarsley ground.
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
  1. Boil the potatoes.
  2. Once the potatoes are boiled, peel and run it through the ricer.
  3. Add all the ingredients for the potatoes and load it into the blender.
  4. Blend well. You might have to do it in parts. It should have no lumps.
Garnish
  1. While the potato is boiling, peel the garlic meant for the garnish. Slice the garlic into thin slivers.
  2. 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
    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
  1. Ladle the mixture in the earthen ware / baking dish, garnish with parsley, chilli flakes and the par baked garlic.
  2. Add dollops of butter (the one kept aside for the garnish) on all sides and slide into the oven.
  3. 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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Filed Under: Brunch, Sides Tagged With: garlic, Garlic mashed potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, technora

Red Chilli Chutney – From Bangalore.

May 23, 2016 By appu 4 Comments

In the din and pollution of Bangalore, exists a quiet retreat. The garden is lush, and in the centre of it all stands my favourite tree – The Parijat. There is something about the small white flower with the orange stems. It has a hard grip on my list of all time favourites. In the days of the old, my grandmother and her sisters in law, would break the orange stem, and make a dye with it. They used it to colour their sarees and wore them for auspicious occasions.

The parijat flower

The parijat flower

In that serene atmosphere, lives Rekha with her husband and daughter. When she got married, her very foodie husband was appalled at her cooking skills, so he took her to his mother’s home for some training. Rekha being Rekha, understood that way to her husband’s heart is through his stomach (as it is with mine!) She dedicated her self to traditional cooking training. I say “well done” husband, because otherwise, we would have lost out on eating out of the hands of one of the best cooks I have ever met.

Rekha is clean, neat and extremely efficient. Her recipes have been so well measured, that nothing goes waste.

In the next few weeks, I will be adding a few of her recipes. The food you must have eaten, but her’s are worth trying out once.

red chutneu feature

Here is a simple Red Chilli Chutney. I asked her the traditional name for it, she just shrugged and said – Red Chilli Chutney. Well then. So be it!!

Since the time I made it, I’ve had it with everything – toast, pooran poli, in a salad. I even layered the base of Lasagna sheets with it, before putting in the fillings. It is not as spicy as it looks.

Red Chutney with anything

Red Chutney with anything

The taste of the jaggery and imli (tamarind), blend with the chillies, giving it the right tang and a hint of spiciness. For the palate that does not mind experimenting with a little spice, this recipe is a must try. And it’s adorably simple.

Red Chilli Chutney

Red Chilli Chutney

Ingredients for the chutney. Sans the red chillies

Ingredients for the chutney. Sans the red chillies


Red Chilli Chutney - From Bangalore
Print Recipe
For the complex tastes that hit your palate, this is a very simple, easy and quick recipe to make. Phenomenally versatile....
  • CourseSauces and Jams, Side Dish
  • CuisineSouth Indian
Servings Prep Time
150 grams appx 15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
5 minutes 5 minutes
Servings Prep Time
150 grams appx 15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
5 minutes 5 minutes
Red Chilli Chutney - From Bangalore
Print Recipe
For the complex tastes that hit your palate, this is a very simple, easy and quick recipe to make. Phenomenally versatile....
  • CourseSauces and Jams, Side Dish
  • CuisineSouth Indian
Servings Prep Time
150 grams appx 15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
5 minutes 5 minutes
Servings Prep Time
150 grams appx 15 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
5 minutes 5 minutes
Ingredients
  • 75 gms Kashmiri Red Chillies
  • 1 tspn Jeera (Cumin) seeds
  • 1 small Ball of Tamarind
  • 1 small Ball of Jaggery
  • 1/2 tspn salt
  • 1 Stem Curry Leaves
  • 4 pods garlic peeled.
  • 1/4 Cup Drinking water To blend.
  • 1/4 tspn Methi (fenugreek) seeds
Servings: grams appx
Instructions
  1. Take off the stems of the red chillies and soak them whole, in room temperature water.
  2. While the chillies soak, dry roast the methi, jeera and curry leaves, on a non stick pan. Roast till the jeera gives off fragrance and the curry leaves look just a bit wilted.
  3. After 15 minutes drain the chillies and throw away the water.
  4. Blend together, soaked red chillies, dry roasted methi, jeera and curry leaves, tamarind, jaggery, garlic and salt in a blender. Use a little water to blend.
  5. Make a coarse paste. Don't blend till its too fine.
  6. Stores well in refrigerator for a week.
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Filed Under: Chutneys Tagged With: garlic, jaggery, no oil, red chilliy chutney, spicy, tamarind, vegetarian, versatile, yum

Fried Garlic

April 26, 2016 By appu 7 Comments

It’s garlic again folks, and I am very excited to share this recipe with you.

This almost pedestrian cousin of onion (yes, it’s first cousins with onion, shallots and leeks!) can add flavour to almost any dish.

Freshly harvested garlic, drying in the sun.

Freshly harvested garlic, drying in the sun.

It has its own health benefits too. 

I love garlic, and it seems so does the world! There is a restaurant in San Francisco by the name of “The Stinking Rose”, which even serves garlic ice cream. I haven’t eaten there, but just for the sake of being a good foodie, I will definitely try it out once.

spicy fried garlic

spicy fried garlic

This dish was suggested by my mother in laws, a gym instructor. It intrigued me to no end, so I decided to try it out the very next day. Simple, easy and one of the tastiest tidbits I have ever had with a drink. So much so that I forgot the drink and kept eating the fried garlic.

fried garlic. my new go to fa v cocktail snack

fried garlic. my new go to fa v cocktail snack

It’s one of the quickest most simple dishes to make. Try and get new garlic, with the pink/purple skin. It tastes much better, as it is fried with the skin on and the thinner the skin, the nicer it is to eat it.

Chillies can be added as per your taste – I love spicy food, and it tastes absolutely yum with whisky!

When you bite into it, its crisp and then the tender garlic hits your tongue and causes the taste buds to do a nice little jig. And then the salt and chillies ping inside your mouth and the entire taste makes you want to go on and on eating fried garlic.

on the rocks with fried garlic

on the rocks with fried garlic

I’m going to try these with scrambled eggs, cheese toast and pizza!

Try variations – With wasabi and light soy sauce. Black pepper and sea salt. Fry some green chillies with it!

Do let me know if you try any of these variations. I would love to hear from you.

_MG_9070

fried garlic

fried garlic


Fried Garlic
Print Recipe
Super easy, super quick and super yummy!
  • CourseDrinks, Sides
  • CuisineIndian
Servings Prep Time
2/ 3 people 10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Servings Prep Time
2/ 3 people 10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Fried Garlic
Print Recipe
Super easy, super quick and super yummy!
  • CourseDrinks, Sides
  • CuisineIndian
Servings Prep Time
2/ 3 people 10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Servings Prep Time
2/ 3 people 10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Ingredients
  • 50 gms garlic Pull out cloves from the bulb, but don't peel the cloves.
  • 200 ml oil for frying
  • 1/4 tspn salt heaped.
  • 1/4 tspn red chilly powder
For Frying.
  • heavy bottomed pan
  • slotted spoon
  • paper napkin to blot extra oil.
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil till hot but not smoking. Set stove to medium heat.
  2. Fry cloves of garlic with skin on.
  3. When the garlic looks a tad brown take it out with the slotted spoon and blot on paper.
    When the garlic looks a tad brown take it out with the slotted spoon and blot on paper.
  4. Add salt and red chilly powder.
  5. Tah dah!! It's ready. Pour yourself a drink and enjoy! It tastes very nice warm. But I quite liked the taste when it has cooled down too. Something about piping hot and spicy, is not very enjoyable.
    Tah dah!! It's ready. Pour yourself a drink and enjoy! 

It tastes very nice warm. But I quite liked the taste when it has cooled down too. Something about piping hot and spicy, is not very enjoyable.
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Filed Under: Cocktail Parties, Sides Tagged With: cocktail snack, fried garlic, garlic, new garlic, rum, spicy garlic, tidbits, whisky

Schezwan Sauce

April 22, 2016 By appu Leave a Comment

I have grown up eating spicy food, but my go to for super tongue tingling spice has always been Schezwan Sauce. There is a fantastic brand available in the stores, which I keep and use, but nothing like homemade. Right? You can guarantee quality, and you can make according to your taste – spicy, super spicy, extra garlicky!

I love garlic – the taste, texture and fragrance. It can liven up the dingiest of dishes. It adds pizzaz to Pizza :P, and makes a mean starter …(I will post that recipe soon. Heard about it – sounded yum! Still to experiment!)

Garlic from the farm.

Garlic from the farm.

I got this recipe from a friend – shout out to Rashmi. She is a fantastic cook (I am surrounded by them) and very very efficient. Her repertoire ranges from outstanding lambs to authentic Italian. I have tweaked her original recipe. Mine is a little more garlicky.

bottled Schezwan Sauce

Bottled Schezwan Sauce

I would suggest Schezwan Sauce with just about anything. I even dip popcorn in it. It’s a staple during our girls’ night out.

Schezwan Sauce

Schezwan Sauce

Dishes you could mix them in – noodles, fried rice, stir-fry. All these are conservative ideas. I would recommend out of the box uses. With potato crisps, popcorn, in a sandwich, layered in a baking dish, with dhokla, with cucumber sticks as a dip, with fritters, with sushi….!!

What would you use it with? Do send your comments.

schezwan sauce

While I find weighing ingredients a very precise option, sometimes I also use Cups and Spoon measurements. I have used spoon measurement in the last section because I found it more accurate and less cumbersome.

I have included the cup measurements in the recipe notes.

Schezwan Sauce
Print Recipe
Tedious to make ( I tend to post too many of those :O ) but the best kind of sauce. Very versatile.
  • CourseSauces and Jams
Servings Prep Time
1.800 kgs 1 hour plus
Cook Time Passive Time
30 + 30 minutes 3 hours
Servings Prep Time
1.800 kgs 1 hour plus
Cook Time Passive Time
30 + 30 minutes 3 hours
Schezwan Sauce
Print Recipe
Tedious to make ( I tend to post too many of those :O ) but the best kind of sauce. Very versatile.
  • CourseSauces and Jams
Servings Prep Time
1.800 kgs 1 hour plus
Cook Time Passive Time
30 + 30 minutes 3 hours
Servings Prep Time
1.800 kgs 1 hour plus
Cook Time Passive Time
30 + 30 minutes 3 hours
Ingredients
To blend together
  • 250 gms Kashmiri Chillies (or any other spicy dried chilli) Deseeded
  • 140 gms Chopped Stems of celery
  • 100 gms whole Garlic pods
  • 90 gms chopped, green capsicum
  • 70 gms Chopped White of Spring onion
  • 35 gms minced ginger
For cooking
  • 650 gms Vegetable oil
  • 90 gms Minced green chillies
  • 75 gms Minced Garlic
To add while cooking
  • 5 tbsp Ketchup
  • 5 tbsp Malted Vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Black pepper powder
  • 4 tbsp salt add a little at a time. Keep tasting.
Servings: kgs
Instructions
  1. Soak the deseeded chillies for 2 hours.
  2. Boil the soaked chillies in the same water. It should slip through your fingers. The texture should become slippery and slimy. Drain and cool for 30 minutes. Set aside the water.
  3. Blend together - the chillies, celery stem, celery leaves, garlic pods, green caspsicum, spring onions, ginger. I blend it, till its just a step away from a very smooth paste. Use the drained water, to help in the blending. Dont use too much. The mixture should not become runny.
To cook
  1. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Dont let it smoke.
  2. Add the green chillies and garlic and cook till soft. Garlic should not change colour.
  3. Add the blended mixture and mix well with the oil.
While cooking.
  1. Add the ketchup, malted vinegar, pepper powder and salt.
  2. Let it cook till big bubbles erupt.
  3. Cool and store in jars. This recipe makes - 9 jars of 200 gms each.
    Cool and store in jars. 
This recipe makes - 9 jars of 200 gms each.
  4. When stored, a little oil will rise up. It's necessary to keep the sauce from spoiling.
Recipe Notes

Red Chillies are in gms only. Too difficult to figure out - here are the cup measurement.

2 C celery.

1 C Garlic Pods.

1 C Chopped Green Capsicum.

1 C Chopped Stems of Celery

1 C Chopped Whites of Spring Onion

1/3 C Minced Ginger

------------------------------------------------

2 1/2 C Oil

3/4 C Minced Garlic

1 C Minced Green chillies.

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Spicy and garlicky.

Spicy and garlicky.


Filed Under: Sauces Tagged With: celery, chillies, chinese sauce, garlic, schezwan sauce, spicy, stir fry

Meet the Author

For the 21 years and some months that I have been alive, there has been this crazy, eccentric, always-charged-up woman with a full-time job of being a mother to 6 (2 children, 4 dogs).

In her spare time she blasts music on her DJ console, reads like a maniac, downloads shows (because God forbid she runs out of something to watch), runs an entire household, and to top it all off, manages a very successful catering business which makes the most delicious food in the entire world. Once you have her food, everything else will taste like stale socks.

This is what you call "Maa ke haath ka khana".

- Kanak

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