Chorizo and Shammi Kebabs

I picked up a lovely assortment of goodies from Godrej Nature's Basket (GNB) the other day and wanted to try some out on Sunday, which is a lazy day in the kitchen :)

I had picked up some ready-to-fry shammi kebabs. Shammi Kebabs are really soft ,well minced kebabs that can melt in your mouth if made right. These were delicate and ready to fall apart in my hands and I tried to gently ease them into a shallow frying pan.

The frothing, is from the egg content in the kebabs, nothing to worry about.

(You can try this recipe for Shimapuri Kebabs).

I would ideally serve these delicate kebabs on mini rotis. I've tasted it in a couple of places on mini 'Ulthe Tawa ke Parathe' which is a gorgeous combination. But I was in no mood to knead out dough, and make mini rotis for just myself. But,  I still needed a base to pick up these kebabs without having to resort to a spoon.

I  remembered the Chorizo slices that I had picked up from GNB. Now a roti would lend a sweetish taste, but this chorizo was tart and spicy.

 

They did come together beautifully on a plate, with colors playing off each other. I warmed the chorizo for 5 seconds in the microwave to get the fats to break up just a little bit and then plated the kebabs on top of the slices (not very neatly, but I was making it for myself and the aromas were forcing me to rush it a bit, so I could eat while it was still at the right temperature)

The taste together was not the best of combinations, because the shammis were melt-in-the mouth soft with crisp skins and the chorizo had that bit of a chew needed. The kebabs were very lightly flavored, but the chorizo was quite strong (sour and spicy) and hence overpowered the taste of the kebabs.

Each item tasted great separately, so I ended up using the chorizo slices as scoops to get the kebab into my mouth in one piece and then I ate all the slices up after I was done with the kebabs. I will have to make the mini rotis/parathas next time.

The chorizo was very good as an appetiser as it truly stimulated the taste buds.

I do love this store and will keep going back for more.

Recipe : Mattar ki Ghugni (Stir Fried Green Peas)

Edited on 8 March to change the name.
Thank you to Sangeeta for giving me the traditional name of this dish.


This is a really simple and fast recipe. My Mother-in-law often makes this for breakfast, when we are visiting on holday. We tend to wake up late and then my husband urges his mom to serve him something hot, but fast. She always has a couple of packets of freshly shelled green peas in her fridge for such occassions.

If you have already shelled your peas, it takes barely 5-10 minutes to serve this dish.

Ingredients:
500 gms of peas (300 gms after shelling)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1" piece of ginger
2 green chillies (optional)
a few drops of oil
salt to taste
1/2 a lemon (optional)

Preparation:
Shell the peas (fresh green peas taste best in this recipe, frozen may not be so bad, but rehydrated peas is a very bad idea)
Grate the ginger or chop it very fine (paste is not an option)
Red chillies will give a lovely touch of colour to the dish, but green chillies will do too. Chop fine if using.

Method:
Put a few drops of oil into a hot pan. When the oil turns hot, drop the jeera/cumin seeds.
When the seeds start to pop, add the ginger. (this will splutter a bit, be careful)
Fry the ginger for about 30 seconds, then add the chopped chillies.
Fry for another 15-30 seconds and then add the peas.
Add salt to taste.
Cover and let the peas cook in their own steam. (add a few drops of water, if it gets too dry/starts to char)
When the peas start to shrivel a bit, they are done.

The peas look like jewels.
Serve hot, with a squeeze of lemon.(optional)

This dish can be eaten on its own, with bread, rotis, puris, or rice.

Recipe: Fried Chicken Kebab / Chicken Pakoda (Fritters)

This is a quick and easy recipe if you suddenly have someone dropping in for an evening snack or you have just decided to treat yourself and your family.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo chicken
1 or 2 eggs (depending on size)
2 tsps ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp soya sauce
Cornflour to make the batter
chilli sauce to taste
salt to taste
1-2 tsps of rava (semolina) - if you want more of a crunch to the taste.
Vegetable oil to fry
Chopped corriander to garnish

Method:
Make a batter with the eggs, ginger garlic paste, sauces, salt, cornflour and the rava if you are using it. It needs to be a thick consistency where it will give a good coating to the pieces.

Wash the chicken and pat dry. You can use either bite sized bits of boneless chicken which will go well as an appetiser or with drinks or use smaller pieces of chicken with the bone in them.

Marinate chicken in the batter for at least 30 minutes.

In a deep pan, heat oil till very hot.
Deep fry chicken pieces, turning gently half way through.

Note:
Deep frying will give a nice crispy texture.
You can shallow fry it, but then make sure you use thinner pieces of chicken and use less batter on the pieces, else it will turn into a soggy mess.

Serve garnished with Corriander leaves.

Variations:

This recipe can also be used with large sized prawns or bite sized pieces of boneless fish for seafood versions or cauliflower or paneer for a vegetarian version.

Marinate prawns or fish for 15-20 mins in a light mixture of 1/4 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp turmeric powder + 1/2 tsp vinegar, then use this marinade and continue as above.

For cauliflower/paneer, follow the same recipe.

If you want to marinate it overnight, then don't add the eggs, until just before frying, else it will lose its crispiness.

Note : the egg will cause the oil to froth when you start to fry, leave enough depth between the oil and the top of the pan

Recipe : Mattar Paneer (Peas and Cottage Cheese)

A Respected Professor who has taught both of us was visiting last evening. I wanted to cook a meal at home as he had been on the road and eating out a lot. The only worrying thing, was that because of this move and the prolonged stay at the guest house, I hadn't cooked for almost 3 months. My kitchen is still a hotch potch of ingredients shoved into recesses by the 'un'packers and finding even something like salt is like embarking on a treasure hunt.

So I decided to cook an extremely simple meal that required minimum number of ingredients, with a focus on fresh ingredients that could be easily bought in the market.

This being winter season, fresh green peas are abundantly available and neither frozen nor dehydrated peas can compare in flavor. The sweetness and texture of fresh green peas is unmistakable in a dish. The recipe can be made with frozen peas. But fresh peas are highly recommended where possible.

Most "Mattar Paneer" dishes that you may have tried in a restaurant would be more of a gravy. But this is a dry dish (I will also give you directions on how to turn it into a curry). This version may not taste exactly like what you are looking for, but as I have mentioned before, most Indian dishes have as many variations as barbeque rubs and marinades if not more.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo paneer (cottage cheese, fresh is better than frozen)
1/2 kilo fresh green peas - before shelling (300 gms frozen/shelled peas)
1 medium onion
1 medium tomato
2 green chillies (you can ignore it completely, if you don't want it spicy, or increase the chillies, if you want more heat)
1/2" piece of ginger (1/2 tsp of ginger paste)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp corriander powder (dhaniya)
pinch of cumin seeds (jeera)
salt to taste
1/2 tsp of oil
fresh corriander to garnish

Preparation: (10 minutes)
Fresh paneer has a much better texture than frozen paneer. But you can use frozen if fresh isnt available.
Chop paneer into cubes.
Rinse shelled/frozen peas
Thinly slice the onion and tomato.
Slit the chillies in half lengthwise. (Remove the seeds if you don't want the heat)
Roughly smash the ginger with a mortar-pestle or a heavy instrument (like a mallet)

Method: (15-20 minutes)
Put a pan on the fire. When hot, add the oil.
When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds. When the seeds sputter, add the ginger.
When the ginger starts to smell cooked (2 minutes), add the onion, chillies and tomato. Fry lightly for about 5 minutes. Then add the powders.
When the onions and tomato have turned soft, add the paneer and the peas. If you are using frozen paneer, cook it for 2 minutes before adding the peas.
Cover the dish and let it cook in its own liquid for 5-10 minutes. Check in between and add a little water at a time if it is turning too dry.
When cooked, garnish with fresh chopped corriander and serve hot with rotis and dhal or rice and dhal.

Variations:
To turn this into a curry:
You can double or triple the amount of onions and tomatoes and puree them together. Add this puree, after the ginger is cooked. Saute the paste till it is cooked, before adding the paneer and the peas.

Book Review: The Bollywood Cookbook

I can never resist stopping and browsing at a bookshop. and heaven help my poor husband if there is a Book Sale on!

Since we are still in transit, we are living in a guest house where the kitchen is guarded by the (well since they are so young, I can't call them Maharaj's)  Rajkumars of the guest house and I am on a cooking break. We are living out of the suitcases we were able to carry with us on the flight and the rest of our possessions lie in a warehouse until we find a home.

But this could not deter me from buying books at the fantastic 10-90% discount sale at Om Bookshop across its locations in Delhi and NCR. I finally managed to sneak into one of their outlets when the husband wasn't around and came back with a load of books, one of which was The Bollywood Cookbook: The Glamorous World of the Actors and Over 75 of Their Favorite Recipes by Bulbul Mankani.

The book has over 75 recipes as well as part interviews, part nuggets and photographs of the Film Stars whose contributions have  been used in the book. Hence this book can also double up as a coffee table book and the reproduction of some old film posters like "Guide",  "Bobby", "Umrao Jaan", "Pakeezah" could spark off some interesting conversations.

The pictures are lovely and the printing quality is good. The photos of the food that accompany the recipes can easily tempt you into cooking from the book. Some of the traditional recipes like the Manglorean Coconut curries have been given a low fat, low cal twist by the stars, their parents or their cooks.

Contrary to what is sometimes perceived as my indiscriminate picking up of cookbooks, I do read a couple of recipes to get a feel of whether the author is being authentic to the taste of the dish and if ingredients will be easy to find. This book scores high on both counts. Just like someone who reads music, can visualise and hear what the notes will sound like, some foodies who are avid cooks will have an idea what the finished product will taste like, just by reading a recipe.

The reason I don't bake is because I can't follow precise instructions, so I do jiggle with the quantities recommended to suit my own tastebuds and mood, so I cannot tell you how accurate the measurements are. And I have not yet been in my own kitchen to put the recipes to the test, but they seem to have potential.

Some of the stars also share their favorite restaurants with you. I was suprised to see that 2 of Nandita Das's favorties, Aap Ki Khatir and Swagath in Delhi mirrored my own. It somehow makes them more human to read their likes and dislikes about food.

The recipes are Pan Indian and some of them have an International twist to them too. Contributions from Shah Rukh Khan, the Bacchans, the Roshans, Shabana Azmi, Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor among others, span Lucknowi, Mughal, Manglorean, Parsi, Marathi, Rasta and Bengali recipes. So it does give you a wide range of cuisines to choose from.

My only crib about this book so far, is that on page 127 where the recipe is for Suneil Shetty's Uppitu, the accompanying picture is of some paneer dish.

If Bollywood and Food are dual interests to you, then this book is worth your while. Even if just one of the 2 interests you, there is still a lot you can get out of this book.

If you would like to sample a few pages of the book before buying it online, this Amazon link lets you Look Inside.

Looking for Xmas gifts?

Stuck looking for Xmas gifts?

Well its the easiest thing to do, for people in your family and friend circle who love cooking. Gourmet foods, Stoneware, Flatware, Kitchen knick knacks. The list is endless no matter what your budget.

Choose a Holiday themed dinner set like those available from Pfaltzgraff stoneware.



If you like to cook and have friends who aren't too keen on the measuring and preparation behind cooking and baking, then use one of the many recipe sites on the net to search for a "in a jar" recipe. Like Brownies in a jar, Soup in a jar, Cookies in a Jar or something else. Decorate the jar and voila you have an inexpensive gift which can be treasured by the receiver.

These are also a great return gift if you have called people over for dinner.

Wondering what new dishes to cook for these you have invited? Here are some ideas for dinner recipes

Book Review: Street Cafe Morocco

The colours used in this book are what first attracted me to pick it up. The photography by Jeremy Hopley is very captivating.

The book covers recipes for street food in Morocco. So the foods themselves are easy to prepare. Most recipes have less than 6 ingredients, so its easy to throw a dish together with ingredients in your grocery cupboard or refrigerator.

Primarily targetted at a British audience, I find myself being more generous with the chilli powder than recommended in the book. But its been great at getting me to use some of the spice mixes I picked up on a recent trip to Morocco.

Do not let that fact scare you. A majority of the recipes can be prepared without searching for exotic ingredients.

Jallab

My first introduction to this drink was just 2 days ago and I'm already hooked.

Wikipedia says that Jallab is consumed all over the Middle East and is a special delicacy in Lebanon and Syria.

I haven't ever had the chance to taste this drink in Egypt, but I read a lot of blogs by Lebanese, who were passionate about this drink.

The drink is a combination of Rose syrup, date syrup/molasses and I think it has crushed raisins too. Thinned down to a watery consistency, topped with pine nuts and served chilled.

The syrup is commercially available in some parts of the world. It can also be bought online.

If you get the syrup in a bottle, you just have to add chilled water, garnish with pine nuts and serve.

The resulting liquid is a lovely deep pink almost bordering on red.Its an extremely refreshing drink. Rose and dates both have cooling properties and hence its a great drink in sultry climates.

A cursory google search for "Jallab recipe" wasn't very fruitful. If I had to take a guess from the drink that I tasted (ok, downed is a more appropriate word) I'd go for the following.

Equal parts of rose and date syrup, (the rose flavour should be a little stronger than the dates) and some pureed raisins. While rose syrup is slightly troublesome to make at home, date syrup should be easier.

Choose a moister variety of dates, clean and soak in a little water to further loosen in up. Remove seeds if any. Puree in a blender/liquidiser.

Repeat same process with a few raisins, (you can soak them with the dates and combine the processes). I'd say a handful of raisins (again juicy ones would be better) for about 200gms of seedless dates.

Puree, strain and add water to bring to the consistency of the rose syrup. (don't add sugar, the dates and raisins will have enough sweetness of their own)

Blend the rose syrup with the date+ raisin syrup.

To serve, dilute with chilled water to a really thin consistency. Garnish with pine nuts and serve.

This recipe can't be stored outside a refrigerator as it has no preservatives in it. If it splits into two layers (because of different denisty of the syrups) don't worry, just give the bottle a good shake before mixing.

The prepared drink should not split, as you will be watering it down and the densities should then equalise.

Mussels Masala Fry

Tip 1: Fresh Mussels, obviously taste better than the frozen variety

Tip 2: They need to be cooked as lightly as prawns.

Marinate the meat of mussels in meet mirsang - a mix of chilli, turmeric, cumin and vinegar. (This is a standard paste thats ground in large quantities and stored in most Manglorean houses) but you can use powders, just create a paste with the vinegar. Adjust chillies to your liking, turmeric and jeera are intended to have just a hint of a flavour, you can use lemon juice instead of vinegar if you prefer to make it fresh.

Heat some coconut oil in a pan (this gives it a very South Indian flavour, you can use regular oil) temper with curry leaves (there's really no substitute, Sorry)

Saute thinly sliced onions (50 gms onions for 200 gms shelled mussels) in the tempered oil
Then mix in the marinated mussels with the marinade.
Stir fry at high heat, so juices get trapped inside.

Serve hot with rice and dhal or rice and rasam.

Variant:
I use a similar recipe for prawns and I pop some potatoes in there for contrasting texture. Also the flavour of prawns seems to blend well with potatoes. I myself wouldnt use a mussels-potato combo.

The Khakhi Kookbook

This is a title of a 1917 cookbook compiled by an American Missionary in India.

A Free Online edition is available here

Interesting reading. Purely for historical and literary reasons.

Cookabiliy? Not too sure. . . . .

They don't sound authentic to me as an India, would love to hear what an American thinks of these recipes

How to serve Chicken Wings for Guys!

Found this floating on the web somewhere. LOL

Recipe : Mummy Lorna's Mince Cutlets/ Indian Burger Patties

This was something mom would make us when we came home with good marks or won a prize at something. They were a special treat because it meant mum had to individually shape these cutlets and the cooking process is a little lengthy. But they are so worth the effort!

Ingredients:
1 kilo mince (beef/chicken or mutton)
1/2 kilo potatoes (you can increase this quantity if you want more cutlets or to stretch your budget)
some fresh corriander
salt
stew powder or pepper powder for a strong taste
optional : 4 tablespoons channa dhal (split chickpeas) soaked for 4 hours at least - this gives a third texture to the cutlets.
egg for frying.

Method:
Put washed mince, skinned potatoes, dhal, salt, stew/pepper powder in the pressure cooker without any added water. Cook for 3 whistles (Hawkins).
Open cooker, if any liquid is remaining, keep cooking it with the top open until dry.
If you want smooth cutlets, grind the mince in the mixi/food procesor, else just mash and blend everything with a potato masher.
Add chopped corriander and mix well.

Beat one egg.

Shape into cutlets (any shape or size you like - burger/croquette/meat balls), dip in beaten egg and shallow fry on all sides.

Server with rice and curry for a meal.

Between slices of bread for breakfast/snack/journeys/picnics.

With chutney and sauce as a tea time snack.

This can be eaten anytime.

Optional : Roll in bread crumbs after dipping in egg and before frying.

Recipe : Green gram & Bamboo shoot

This is a traditional Manglorean recipe, normally made when bamboo shoot is in season which is for a month in the year.

With canned bamboo shoot, this favorite dish of mine can now be made year round.

Ingredients:
1 can bamboo shoots drained and chopped
3/4 can green gram (sabut moong dhal with chilka) lentils
1/2 a coconut grated (you can substitute dessicated coconut, but it wont taste as good as fresh coconut)
1 large onion
3-4 cloves garlic
5-6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard
vegetable powder
sol/ tamarind
oil

Soak the green gram overnight. You can even sprout it if you choose to.
If the bamboo shoot is fresh, it needs to be soaked in water for a day or two (changing water every 4-6 hours) to take away the heatiness. (This is an Indian term that I cannot find the right english translation for)
If the bamboo shoot is tinned, you can just drain the water and rinse before using.

Cook the green gram and bamboo shoot with a little salt, a piece or 2 of sol (or substitute with tamarind - but this will blacken the color of the dish) and a little vegetable powder to your preference. I like it crisp while my siblings prefer it mushy.
(If you like your sprouts raw, then only cook the bamboo shoot)

Heat a teaspoon of oil.
Drop crushed garlic into it and roast till it turns dark brown, add mustard seeds, more vegetable powder and curry leaves. This is the seasoning.
Add chopped onion and coconut and cook till raw smell disappears.
Add the green gram, bamboo shoot mix and mix well on heat.

Serve hot with rice and dhal.

Obituary: Sabina Sehgal Saikia

Sabina Sehgal Saikia was a food writer who had been with the Times of India group for over 17 years who at the time of her untimely demise had risen to Consulting Editor at the publication. She died in the Terror attacks in Mumbai where she was staying on the 6th floor. She was in Mumbai for the wedding of Bachi Karkaria's son next week.

Sabina could make or break a Delhi restaurant based on her reviews. She initially wrote an extremely popular column called "Main Course" for the Saturday Times, which later moved to the Delhi Times.

I was first introduced to her, when I picked up the Times of India Restaurant Guide for Delhi, 8 years ago. My next 2 years in Delhi were made tolerable by this handy book. I tried out restaurants based on her recommendations and agreed with her judgment over 80% of the time. She was honest and direct.

The Times of India Restaurant Guides to Hyderabad and Bombay could never match up to the standard that Sabina had set. She had spoiled me against other guides with her perfection and accuracy.

I subscribed to the Times of India in Delhi, just to read her column, although the Hindustan Times gave much better news coverage in Delhi.

An excellent cook herself, she soon visited me in my living room on NDTV cooks demonstrating an especially fiery looking Green Chilli Pickle.

I never met her face-to-face, but I felt like I knew a part of her. The part of her that loved good food and in Saif Ali Khan's words "acha khaana khane ke liye, hum kahin pe bhi chalenge" (to eat good food, we will travel anywhere) and in a wierd way, I identified with this part of her.

Sabina will be sorely missed in the food writers world. Our sympathies go out to her husband Shantanu and her two young children who will feel her absence much more than her millions of devoted readers.

Sabina you brought joy into the lives of food lovers: May your Soul, Rest in Peace.

Jamón ibérico - The King of Hams!

I received this in the mail, a couple of days ago:

From swine raised like royalty, cured ham called jamon iberico is finally here.

This party has been two years in the making. At the home of Frank Cutitta, friends are beginning to gather. Cutitta, a media executive, is in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on pasta alla carbonara and veal saltimbocca. Outside on a stone patio overlooking a pond, people mill around the guest of honor.

It weighs 13 pounds, glistens with fat, and is capped by a dramatic black hoof.

It's a ham, but not just any ham. This is jamon iberico de bellota, the be-all-and-end-all, Rolls Royce, of ultra hams: one that positively demands a party. It comes from Spain, and it is among the first whole bellota hams to legally reach this country. Until now, to get a taste of this porcine holy grail, American foodies had to hop a plane.

The ham has arrived in the United States because the Spanish company Embutidos Fermin, located in the medieval village of La Alberca, spent much of the last decade working to meet USDA specifications. The company built a new slaughterhouse and formed a partnership with chef Jose Andres, host of the PBS series "Made in Spain," and Portland, Maine, importers the Rogers Collection. In 2008, they got the green light. The following year jamon iberico began to trickle into the country, first in the form of sausages, then paletas, or shoulders. But the actual hams, which take several years to cure, didn't start shipping to customers till recently.

The ham has arrived in Wayland because Cutitta's friend Victor Grillo, the man behind such ads as the famous Ginsu knife infomercial, heard about it long ago and decided to get his hands on one.

He found out he couldn't. "It was forbidden fruit," he says. "You want what you can't have." When he discovered a waiting list for jamon iberico (pronounced: ham-ON ee-BEAR-ee-ko) started by La Tienda, a website specializing in Spanish products, he put down his name and a
$199 deposit.

He was among about 400 people to do so, according to La Tienda owner Don Harris. That was two years ago. Some people have been on the waiting list for as long as six years. Very few of them are in the restaurant business. These are individuals, caught up in pure porky obsession.

"They are ham fanatics," Harris says. "One guy was postponing his wedding till he got one. He has a motorcycle club called the Patas Negras," or "black hooves," another name for the Iberian pigs from which the ham is made. "We had a customer who went and visited his ham in the mountain village where it was being cured."

Jamon iberico's cult following stems in part from its mystique: nearly nattainable, dearly expensive. It retails for $96 a pound and up.

Its provenance adds to that; the ham comes from pigs that are as coddled as the cattle that become Kobe beef. The pigs roam free, feasting on acorns ("bellotas" in Spanish). "They live in pig paradise," says Harris. "They grow up as a gang together for two years, then when it's time for them to meet their maker, they play them Mozart. After Mozart, they go to bed for the night. I don't know if they're tucked in. The next morning they get hot showers, then some mysterious carbon dioxide enters their atmosphere and they go off to piggy heaven." This is referred to not as slaughtering the pigs, but as sacrificing them. The hams then cure for up to four years in clean mountain air.

The piggy spa treatment takes place for a practical reason. "They want them very mellow," Harris says. "If they're scared, they produce epinephrine. If they're not stressed, the meat is fine. I'm not saying the ham people are pig lovers. They're meat lovers."

The main reason bellota ham is so coveted, of course, is its flavor.
"It's very meaty, rich, marbled with fat," writes Andres in an e-mail from Spain. "Jamon iberico is the finest ham in the world. It is a ham that will ruin you for other hams." He recommends serving it alone, or topped with caviar and rolled up like a cigar.

The meat is dark red, almost the shade of corned beef. It tastes like prosciutto in Technicolor, nuanced and blossoming in the mouth, with a lingering touch of iron. The fat has faintly fruity undertones; it dissolves on your tongue. Harris says the curing process converts much of the fat of acorn-fed hams into healthy monounsaturated fat, like olive oil that happens to taste like pork. According to the nutrition label on Fermin's website, a 1 ounce serving has 84.5 calories, 51.3 from fat; about a third of that is saturated. So it's not exactly health food, but it does taste extraordinary.

"The operative word for the bellota is 'meaty,' " says Harry Saltzman, the La Tienda customer who went to visit his ham in La Alberca. "Even the fat, which of course my wife assiduously cuts off and I love and I eat when she's not looking. I've been told the acorns give the ham and the fat this rich flavor. It's spectacular. Nobody believes it's as good as I say."

Back at the Cutitta home, the spread is on the table. Cutitta, who is famous among friends for his cooking, has created a feast based around Grillo's ham. There are slices of jamon iberico de bellota, unadorned; figs topped with the ham, manchego, and Italian honey; skewers of shrimp with ham; mushrooms with ham; the carbonara and the veal ("make sure you say it's from Waverly Market," Cutitta says).

"Isn't it great when food brings people together?" Grillo says. Then he takes his first bite of carbonara, topped with more slivers of jamon and Spanish cheese. "I'm gonna fall over," he says, practically swooning.
"Oh my God, this is awesome. This is better than sex."

And with that, it's time for a toast. "Here's to the pig!" Grillo says, raising a glass of Rioja. And together the friends salute the guest of honor.

"Here's to the pig!"

SOURCE: Devra First Globe Newspaper Company.

Wikipedia also has an entry on this ham that seems to support this article.

Interesting, isn't it?

Recipe : Nepali Style Chicken Biryani

This is another recipe from my friend who gave me the recipe for the Nepali Potato Kebabs

Its one of the easier Biryani recipes that I have come across and is pretty quick to prepare and cook as we will be using small pieces of boneless chicken and there is no masala to be ground.

Ingredients:
2 cups basmati/biryani/long grained rice
1.5 cups boneless chunks of chicken (preferably breast meat)
3 tbsp ghee (You can use a little less if you prefer but don't substitute with oil, it will affect the flavor) / semna/clarified butter
1 cardamom pod
2 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 medium onion chopped
salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric/haldi
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 tsp ginger paste or freshly chopped ginger
1 tsp garam masala
2 cups water

Preparation:
Wash rice, soak in water for 10-20 minutes (while preparing the rest of the ingredients)
On medium flame, Heat the ghee, fry the cardamom, cloves and bay leaves until light brown.
Add chopped onion and cook until golden brown.
Add chicken, increase the heat and fry until the chicken is golden brown.
Add salt, turmeric, garlic, ginger and garam masala.
Cook for 15 minutes or till chicken is almost done.
Drain the water from the rice and add it to the chicken.
Fry until the rice is slightly browned.
Add the 2 cups water.

Tip:Always add hot water rather than water at room temperature to prevent the cold water from abruptly stopping the cooking process and to give your rice the right consistency in the end result.

Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
Serve hot with Raita or pickles.

Variations:
This preparation doesn't have any chillies added to it, if you would like to spice it up a bit, add a few chopped chillies when adding the turmeric powder.
This recipe can also be converted into a Vegetarian Biryani by substituting potatoes for the chicken.

Recipe : Warm (Mashed) Potato & Ham Salad

Potato and Ham salad is a dish I first tasted many years ago in a German restaurant.

The combination is interesting and the carbs in the potatoes make it quite a comfort dish.

This dish can be served as a salad (if you chop the potatoes rather than mash them, as a side dish or even as a base to assemble something fancy on top of. I can even eat it as a one dish meal. This is really fast to rustle up, especially if you keep a few cooked potatoes in your refrigerator as standby. Once the potatoes are cooked, the dish is ready in under 7 minutes.

You can also combine flavours to complement your main dish or the dish you build on top of this salad.

The following recipe can serve as a side dish for 2-3 people.

Cook 3 medium size potatoes till soft.
Mash potatoes with pepper, salt (use very little salt as your ham will have salt content too) and a bit of milk (you can add cream instead of milk if you aren't calorie conscious)
Cut 2 slabs of ham (tinned variety) and lightly fry on each side. Cut the slabs into reasonably sized cubes.
Fold the ham into the till warm mashed potatoes.
The dish is ready to serve.
If the mashed potatoes turn cold before you can serve it, feel free to zap it in a microwave.
Garnish with a bit of parsley.

There are tons of innovations that you can introduce in this dish during the stage when you are mashing the potatoes. These include
1. chopped herbs of your choice
2. chopped garlic lightly toasted in butter
3. spice powders
4. your favorite dipping sauce or flavored sauce (decrease the milk/cream so that you do not add too much liquid overall)

I wanted a bit of a bite the last time I made this, so I just added a bit of Nandos extra hot peri peri sauce.

If you had a bad experience at a Nando's restaurant don't be cynical. The sauces they sell are really good.

Recipe : Nepali Aloo/Potato Kebabs

Today was Dusshera and since we are in Egypt, we did not have a holiday.

I still wanted to make the day special for my husband so he wouldn't feel too homesick for the delicious food his mom would have cooked for us. So I fired up the deep frying pan and rustled up a bunch of ajwain puris, made some chole (which I had soaked last night) and in a bid to try something different, yet familiar and keep the menu vegetarian - I pulled out a recipe given to me by a Nepali friend for potato kebabs.

Potato dishes go very well with puris and it is comfort food for my husband. This dish was no exception.

Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp corriander powder

1/2 inch ginger paste (fresh is better)

5 cloves garlic ground to paste

1 cup yoghurt

1/2 tsp pepper powder

chilli powder to taste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste

4 small bay leaves

1/2 cup oil

1/2 inch ginger, chopped

Peel potatoes and cut into 4 to 6 equal sized pieces.

Mix all ingredients except potatoes, oil, chopped ginger and bay leaves into a smooth paste.

Marinate the potatoes in this mixture for at least 4 hours.

Don't leave the potato pieces too large.

In a large pan, heat the oil, add chopped ginger and fry on high heat till it browns.

Add bay leaves and stir for awhile.

Drop the potatoes into the hot oil mixture and fry till the potatoes turn light brown while stirring occasionally.

Pour the marinade into the pan for some liquid quotient, lower the heat, cover the pan and cook potatoes for 10-15 minutes until soft.

Dry up the potatoes before serving.

They should be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Serve hot with rice, roti or puri.

Recipe : Kebabs - Simple to Shikampuri

I first had the good fortune of tasting shikampuri kebabs at Hyderabad House in (you guessed it) Hyderabad, India. This has been one of my favorite kebabs ever since and a must eat when I visit Hyderabad.

I recently came across a recipe for making them, sadly it wasn't exactly the taste I was craving, but they were pretty good never the less.

This is an easily adaptable recipe.

You can try to make the shikampuri kebab which requires a little skill for the stuffing or just prepare it as regular cutlets/kebabs or turn them into deep fried meat balls or use it to make koftas for a mince kofta curry.

I use beef or mutton mince in my recipe but you can substitute with chicken mince if you prefer.

You can also lower the spice quotient by reducing the chilli powder.

This recipe is perfect for those who have trouble getting their cutlets/meat balls to the right consistency or end up breaking and splintering when frying.

Ingredients:

250gms of mince

1/2 cup of bengal gram dhal (channa dhal/ split chickpeas)

1/2 inch ginger

3 cloves of garlic

1 inch piece of cinnamon

tsp chilli powder (use less if you want it less spicy)

salt to taste

4 cloves

Method:

Soak the dhal as long as you can (I did not have time to do this today and it became difficult at the grinding stage, so you will see a lot of whole dhal in the pictures, which is tasty but spoils the texture) at least a couple of hours.

Clean the mince, don't squeeze out too much water, as we will not be adding any water in the cooking stage.

Mix all these ingredients in a pan and cook without adding any water until it is dry.

Once it is dry, turn the gas off and let it come down to room temperature.

Then grind the mixture to a fine paste adding 1 egg and Juice of 1 lime

The finer you grind it, the better the kebabs will turn out.

Filling:

1 onion finely chopped

1 green chilli finely chopped (I used red and many of them as you can see below)

a few drops of lemon juice

a little salt to taste

Mix thoroughly.

Take a lime size ball of the ground mince paste, hollow it out and stuff the filling into the hole.

Cover well and make a tight flattened cutlet.

Deep fry in hot oil.

Tip: Because of the egg in the mince, the oil will froth, don't worry too much, but remember to leave space in the pan for the frothing oil.

Serve hot with green chutney or sauce.

In this picture, you can see the effect of the filling in the stuffed cutlet. (kebab split in half)

The crisp onion contrasts sharply against the smooth mince paste.

Alternatives:

If you are not sure of your cutlets holding shape or you want mini appetisers, ignore the filling.

Roll the mince paste into little balls and deep fry.

You can even skip the deep frying step completely and drop the mince paste balls into a bubbling gravy of your choice for a kofta curry.

Shikampuri kebabs/meat balls can be served as appetisers or as sides with Indian bread/roti or even rice.

Kofta curries go well with rice. (the picture above has shikampuri kebabs, meat balls and ajwain puris)

Kombucha - Miracle Tea?

I just heard about this tea because an acquaintance was looking for the starter culture, so then I looked it up and researched it. It looks quite interesting and amazing if it helps half the ailments that it is supposed to.

wikipedia says Kombucha is the Western name for sweetened tea or tisane that has been fermented using a macroscopic solid mass of microorganisms called a "kombucha colony," usually consisting principally of Acetobacter-species and yeast cultures. It has gained much popular support within many communities, mentioned by talk show hosts and celebrities. The increase in popularity can be seen by the many commercial brands coming onto the retail market.

The recorded history of this drink dates back to the Qin Dynasty in China (around 250 BC). The Chinese called it the "Immortal Health Elixir," because they believed Kombucha balanced the Middle Qi (Spleen and Stomach) and aided in digestion, allowing the body to focus on healing. Knowledge of kombucha eventually reached Russia and then Eastern Europe around the Early Modern Age, when tea first became affordable by the populace.


This is a 3 year old article on Kombucha in Egypt

The Kombucha culture looks like a white rubbery pancake. It is a symbiotic culture of yeast and other microorganisms. The culture is placed in sweetened black or green tea and turns the tea into a sea of health giving acids and nutrients. The Kombucha culture feeds on the sugar and, in exchange, produces other valuable substances which change into the drink: glucuronic acid, glucon acid, lactic acid, vitamins, amino acids, antibiotic substances, and other products. The Kombucha culture is, therefore, a real tiny biochemical factory.

This Web Site contains information on Kombucha's health benefits and tells you how to make it for free.

Looks like an interesting health drink to consider.

Recipe : Pepper Crusted Lamb Chops

This is a recipe you can make as spicy or as mild as you like.

Its very simple to make and just needs advance marination.

You can try this with other meats too and make it with bone-in or bone-less meat

Pepper is supposed to be a good spice to be eaten during the hot months in humid climates and is consumed in large quantities in Kerala and the Konkan coast to some extent.

Ingredients
1 kilo lamb/mutton/beef/pork chops
little less than half a liter of yoghurt/curd
salt to taste
as much whole black pepper as you can handle. I used a handful and a half

Run the whole black pepper in a coffee grinder or the powdering attachment of your food procesor/mixi
You don't want to powder the pepper. You just want it cracked, so it can release its flavour.
Mix this cracked pepper into the yoghurt and add salt to the mix.
If the yoghurt isn't sour at all, then add the juice of half a lemon to the marinade mix.

Tenderise the meat, using a meat mallet. Be careful not to splinter the bone.
Apply the marinade on the meat. Mix well, while keeping the meat chops intact.
Keep in the fridge for at least 8 hours. 24 hours or longer, gives a more robust flavour.

Pan grill the chops or barbeque them. If barbequeing them, be careful the peppers dont shoot up your nose :)

To pan grill them, put just a few drops of oil in the pan (lamb/mutton/pork chops will release a lot of fat)
When the oil is hot, you can (optionally) add a few strands of rosemary for a hint of a mixed flavour.
Immediately drop the chops into the pan and sear both sides before the meat starts releasing liquids. Then continue to cook till done to desired levels.

You can cook it closed, if you like your meat well done (it will cook faster closed) or open. Keep adding more marinade as it dries up.

Serve with pasta or garlic bread and veggies.



Tip: After taking out the meat from the pan, drain the oil as much as you can. There will be a lot of good tasty stuff (bits of marinade and pepper) stuck to the pan. Fry some cooked and dry rice(should not be freshly made rice that is sticky or moist)in these bits for a fantastic pilaf/pulao side dish. Or store the fried rice for another meal.

Option: You can use less salt in the marinade and dredge the marinated chops in a bit of sea salt (rock) before frying for salt and pepper crusted chops.
I wouldn't do this because my salt tolerance is low and I hate an explosion of salt in my mouth, but I know it tastes good.

Recipe : Raita - Yoghurt Salad

Raita is served at a lot of Indian meals. Especially during the summer when the yoghurt helps lower body temperature and is supposed to be cooling for the human body.

Raita is much thicker than Lassi. A Lassi is drunk whereas a Raita is eaten with a spoon.

In some parts of India, you will be served a raita that is as thick as a custard, in some parts it may be more watery in nature.

There are as many methods of making raita as there are of making Biriyani :)

A simplest raita is just curd/yoghurt mixed with salt.

A slightly more flavorful raita is got by mixing yoghurt with salt and powder of roasted cumin or whole roasted cumin.
The roasted cumin is extremely good for digestion.

Other flavourings that can be used for Raita
-roasted cumin powder
-whole roasted cumin
- black salt
-chaat masala
- red chilli powder
- little fresh ginger root
- sliced green chillies
- tempering of red chillies and/or mustard
- ground mint leaves

for a more wholesome Raita, you can add the following
- fried boondi
- chopped onion
- chopped tomato
- chopped cucumber
- grated cucumber

Shredded corriander always adds an exciting taste to the raita.

My favourite raita is
Chop a small onion
Chop a small cucumber (after peeling, if it has a lot of larger seeds, then deseed it)
1 or 2 green chillies sliced fine
4-5 stalks of fresh corriander
a pinch of grated ginger
salt to taste
a pinch of sugar
2 pinches of roasted cumin powder
pinch of chaat masala powder
Mix 250 ml of yoghurt till smooth.
Then fold in the other ingredients.
Add a little water if it is too thick.

Garnish with some fresh coriander.

Raita is normally served a fridge temperature.
If making it and serving immediately, keep the yoghurt in the fridge till it is to be used.
Else make the raita, cover tightly and refrigerate.
Serve from the fridge.

Picture is of Biriyani and Raita

Recipe : Chicken / Meat Biryani

There are more biriyani recipes than there are Indian households. Each family has their own favorite and some, like mine, have more than one. The exact methodology and preparation changes from person to person. I keep changing my recipe depending on what I have at hand on home and what flavours I am in the mood for. This is a basic recipe that you can experiment with according to the flavours that you enjoy. Marinate chicken or meat in a yoghurt based marinade. Add any spice powders that you like to the marinade. Add salt to taste in the marinade. You can even add semi fried onions to the marinade for a sharper flavour. Ginger paste and garlic paste are other options in the marinade. Marinate for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight. You can even marinate and refrigerate it upto a week before you use it in a biriyani as long as you haven't added onions in the marinade. In a large pan, add a teaspoon of ghee. Give a tempering with cinnamon, cloves, biriyani flower and or cardamom. Then add finely sliced onions to the mix and fry until crisp. Reserve half the onions for garnishing. You can even lightly toast some nuts for the garnish. Keep this aside. To the second half of the onions which remain in the pan, add some chopped onions and green chillies and stalks of coriander. You can also add some ginger paste at this point, if you haven't added any in the marinade. When the tomato is semi cooked, add the chicken with all the marinade to the pan. (Tip : Make sure the chicken and marinade have reached room temperature before adding it to the mix) Cook until the meat is almost cooked. You can add some boiled eggs at this stage. When the meat has been semi cooked, add rice (washed and soaked for at least 15 minutes) to the pan. Add enough hot water to cover the rice. If you want the flavours evenly distributed, then stir well at this point. If you prefer your biriyani to have chunks of masala mixed with lightly flavored rice, then do not stir the mixture. Cover and let the rice and meat cook till almost done. When almost done, open the pan, add the onions/nuts garnish. If you have made a lightly flavored biriyani, it is a good idea to add saffron as a garnish. Tip : The right way to add saffron is to warm a teaspoon of milk, drop a few strands of saffron into the milk. Mix well. Once the saffron starts dispersing, pour it over the rice. Close and give it a final steam. Serve biryani hot with Cold Raita.

Recipe : Beetroot Halwa

Similar to "Gajar ka Halwa"/Carrot Halwa, this is an easier dessert to prepare with lower added sugar and it cooks faster.

With my shortcuts, here is the general recipe.
Ingredients :
1 kilo beetroots
1 tin condensed milk
1/2 liter milk (full cream better)
Some cashewnuts or almond bits
A pinch of vanilla (optional)
sugar to taste (you can even avoid it all together)


Pressure cook a kilo of beetroots. Don't overcook it, we need the beetroots to retain their crunchiness. Then peel and grate them (not too fine)

In a large pan, saute a tablespoon of butter and roast some nuts.
Then add the grated beetroot, the milk and the vanilla essence.
Cook for a while, as the liquid from the beetroot and the milk start to evaporate, add the condensed milk (you can completely ignore the condensed milk and use more milk and sugar, the condensed milk just speeds up the process a bit)

Keep cooking on low flame with constant stirring until the mixture comes to a halwa like consistency.

Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or cold. You can garnish with more nuts if you like.
Tip : Cashewnuts and almonds go well with this halwa, pistas do not go as well.