Dhokla Again !!!!

Made Dhokla again…. and as I had nothing else to post… ‘DHOKLA it is.  Enjoyyyy.

Ingredients :

Gramflour – 2 cups

Yougurt – 1 cup

Chopped green chillies 1 tablespoon

Chopped ginger 1 tablespoon

Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Baking soda 1 teaspoon

Oil 2 tablespoons

Lemon 1

Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon

Chopped green corriander – 3 tablespoons

Grated fresh coconut 1/2 cup (or more).  Promogranate seeds for garnish.

Take gram flour in a bowl. Add beaten yogurt and water. Whisk till no lumps remain. The mixture should be of a slightly thickish consistency. Add salt and leave it covered to ferment for 2-3 hours. Grind green chillies and ginger to a paste. When the gramflour and yougurt mixture has fermented, add ground chillies and ginger. Add turmeric powder and adjust seasoning, if required. Keep the steamer ready on the gas-top. Grease a shallow-thali with a little oil. In a small bowl take one teaspoon of baking-soda, one teaspoon oil and juice of a lemon. Mix and add to the gramflour mixture. Pour batter into the greased mould and steam for about 15-20 minutes. When a little cool, cut into squares and keep in a serving plate. Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds, green chilly chopped (1)  and curry-leaves. When the seeds begin to crackle remove and pour over the dhoklas. Serve hot garnished with chopped green coriander leaves and grated coconut and promogranate seeds.

A Maharashtrian Delicacy -Puran Poli

A Maharashtrian delicacy,  prepared on festive occasions.  I was lucky enough to have it very often as our neighbours were Maharashtrians.   They turned out very soft and tasty, though I could have rolled them a bit thinner maybe.   My son however wanted nothing to do with them and requested me to make plain ones without the stuffing.  Now what do we do with these kids of today ?   !!!!.

 For the Puran (filling) : 1 cup split channa dal, 1 cup light jaggery (grated),  dash of nutmeg powder, ½ teaspoon cardamom powder,  2 cups water.

 For the Dough :  1 cup wheat flour,  ½ cup maida or all purpose flower, 2 tablespoons oil, salt to taste.

Wash and soak channa dal in enough water for 4- 5 hours.  Add channa dal in pressure cooker, add 2 cups water and pressure cook.  When done, mash boiled channa dal, add it to a nonstick pan,   add grated jaggery in to it,  mix well and cook till mixture becomes thick and starts to leave sides of pan.  Cool – then add cardamom powder, a dash of nutmeg and knead softly and keep aside.

For the dough ..take maida, whole wheat flour in to a deep bowl, to that add salt, oil and mix well.   Add water little by little and start to knead the dough.
The dough has to be very soft.  Cover and leave it to rest for 1 hour.

After it has rested take little oil and start to knead the dough well.  Make balls of the dough,  flatten a bit and add the Puran to it and cover and seal the edges.  Roll just like you would for chappaties. 

Heat a pan and fry the Puran Poli on both sides till it is well fried.  Remove to a plating dish and serve hot with a dollop of butter on it.

Murg Do Pyaza

Hi folks.   Got this recipe from ‘Masala TV’,  a Pakistani food channel.   This dish turned out very tasty and we had it with hot Parotas from a Pakistani restaurant close by.  I made a fried-rice as well to go with this.

1 Kg. Chicken (preferably boneless)

5 Big onions sliced

Ginger Garlic paste ( 1 tablespoon)

(Powdered garam masala – 2-3 cardamoms, 3-4 cloves,  2 sticks of cinnamon,  pepper corns few, ½ tsp cumin seeds) – 1 teaspoon

1 Bay leaf

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Chilly powder 1 tablespoon

Coriander powder 1 tablespoon

Black pepper powder -1/2 teaspoon

Tomatoes -  5 big (chopped fine)

2 green chillies

Oil

Salt to taste

In a big nonstick pan, add oil and saute the bay leaf, then add chopped onions and fry till onions begin to just start getting golden.  Add ginger garlic paste and fry for sometime.  Then add chicken pieces and fry for some time.  Add turmeric, red chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder,  pepper powder and keep frying for 10-15 minutes or till the oil and masala separates.  Then add green chillies, salt, and tomatoes.  Keep frying on a slow fire till the tomatoes get incorporated into the masala paste and a very thickish paste is formed which clings to the chicken pieces.

 Garnish with spring onions and coriander leaves and serve piping hot.

Banana Tapioca Pearls with Coconut Cream

2 large bananas

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups water

1/2 cup tapioca pearls

1/4 cup sugar (or more as per liking)

2 cups coconut cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Select bananas that are not fully ripe (I used the Kerala ones). Peel the bananas and slice in half lengthwise then cut into chunks.  In a mixing bowl combine the bananas,  little salt and enough cold water to cover the bananas.  Set aside.  Bring water to boil in a pot over medium heat.  Add the Tapioca Pearls and cook, stirring occassionally, until the pearls and almost clear (say about 7-10 minutes).  Drain the bananas and add to the tapioca pearls.  Stir in the coconut cream and vanilla extract and more salt to taste (if needed).  Cook for a further 5-7 minutes.  This should be not too watery but somewhat like porridge consistency.   Serve warm,  garnished  with nuts of your choice.

Jhatphat Egg Fried Rice

Try out this easy and quick Egg Fried Rice.  Have it with fried sausages on the side.  I churn this out when am in no mood for elaborate cooking …..and am taken-aback when my son enjoys this to the hilt.

3 cups cooked long grained rice

4-5  Eggs (large)

2 tablespoons thick cream

½ teaspoon  pepper

1 bunch spring onions (chopped)

1 Lemon

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Carrots (chopped)

1 Capsicum  (chopped)

1 onion (chopped)

1 Green Chillie  (slit)

½ teaspoon Garlic powder

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon oil

3-4 cardamoms

2  Cinnamon sticks

Few coriander leaves and spring onion for garnish

Salt to Taste

Beat eggs till frothy.  Add ½  teaspoon pepper and salt to taste.  Then add 2 tablespoons cream.   Take a nonstick pan and fry the eggs on both sides (do not brown).  Either scramble the egg or remove and cut into pieces with kitchen scissor.

In a deep pan add 3 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil.  Add cardamoms and cinnamon.  Then add the onion and sauté till pale.  Then add spring onion, capsicum,  carrot and sauté for a few minutes.  Add green chillie, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce.  Then add the cooked rice and egg and mix thoroughly.  Check seasoning and add salt & pepper if needed.    Add lemon juice just before serving.   Remove in a plating dish and garnish with coriander leaves and chopped spring onion.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Vietnamese cooking is famous for its lively, fresh flavors and artfully composed meals.  Vietnamese food and cooking is the true ‘light cuisine’ of Asia. Abundant fresh herbs and greens, delicate soups and stir-fries, and well-seasoned grilled foods served on, or with, rice or noodles are the mainstays of the Vietnamese delicacies. Even the sweets for snacks or desserts are often based on fresh fruits served with sweetened rice or tapioca.

Yours truly was recently in Vietnam and has now a few favourites.  I forced my husband to buy me two Vietnamese cookbooks and therefore brace yourself  to be bombarded with some Vietnamese dishes.  This is the 2^nd one that I’m sharing on the blog.  I also tried a ‘Vietnamese Pho’ and a ‘Tapioca Pearls Sweet’ and it was real yummy…watch out for that too.

The rice paper wrappers that I used I got from Vietnam, but they are easily available here in UAE in Asian grocery stores.

350 grms Beef (follow the recipe below or use your favourite recipe to make a dryish beef side-dish)

Small packet of rice vermicelli/noodles (boiled and drained)

Lettuce – thinly sliced

Carrots – cut into strips

Cucumber – cut into strips

Mint leaves – few

Coriander leaves – few

Basil leaves – few

Rice Paper wrappers

Slice beef into long thin strips – combine and marinate the beef with 1 clove garlic(minced), 2 small onions, minced ginger(1teaspoon), 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon ground pepper, ½ teaspoon stew powder and little salt to taste).  Heat a skillet. add little oil and cook the beef on the hot skillet for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then till the beef is soft and tender.  Alternately, you can cook beef using any recipe but making sure that it is nice and dry.

Dip a rice paper wrapper in a bowl of water until soft.  Remove and place on a dry surface, smoothing it with your fingers.  Arrange a few noodles on the wrapper, closer to one edge, and top with some carrots, cucumber, lettuce and the mint, basil and coriander leaves.  Arrange strips of beef.  Fold the closest edge of the wrapper over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll up tightly.

Serve along side with dipping sauce (Peanut Dipping sauce & Vietnamese Dipping Sauce).

Peanut Dipping Sauce :

80 g (1/2 cup) roasted unsalted peanuts, 2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds, 65 g sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon butter.   Grind the roasted peanuts and sesame seeds until fine in a blender, adding a little water if necessary.  Combine the peanuts, sesame seed mixture with sugar, salt and water and bring to boil over medium heat.  Cook until the mixture turns to a thick syrupy consistency, say about 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the butter.  Mix and serve.

Vietnamese Dipping Suace (Nuoc Cham)

3 cloves of garlic, minced, 2-3 green chillies,minced,  5 tablespoons lime juice, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, ¼ cup sugar, 4 tablespoons water, 1 cup grated carrot.  Grind the garlic and chillies to a smooth paste in a blender, adding a little water if required.  Stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and water.  Mix well – add carrots – stir and serve.

Peanut & Tomato Rice

I made this Peanut & Tomato Rice during the weekend and it turned out quite nice.   It is a bit spicy,  (so adjust the chillies accordingly) but a real good change from the everyday Pulav and Fried Rice.  The roasted Cummin Powder, fresh green chilly and coriander  at the end gives it a very nice flavor.   Try it and let us know how you found it.

Recipe :

1.5 cups uncooked rice. (Big coffee mug)

½ cup roasted peanuts

4 tablespoons ghee

5 cloves of garlic minced very fine

Few curry leaves

¼ cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon red chilly flakes

½ cup tomato paste and 1.5 cups water.

½ cup fresh coriander leaves

2 tablespoons roasted cumin/jeera powder

6 green chillies cut very fine

¼ cup lemon juice (or more)

 Cook rice and keep aside.  Ensure that grains are long and separate. {I usually microwave the rice – 1.5 cups (big mugs) rice to 3 cups (big mugs) water – and microwave on high for 22 minutes}.

Heat ghee in a big non-stick vessel, add chilly flakes, garlic and curry leaves – fry for a minute and then add the onions and fry till the onion is soft.  Combine tomato paste and water.  Add to pan.  Add salt and simmer for about 10-12 minutes till a thick soupy liquid is formed. 

Add the Peanuts and the cooked rice.  Stir till the rice is well mixed.  Add fresh coriander, green chillies and roasted cumin powder.  Just before serving, add lemon juice and mix well.

Apricot Tart

Today marks the day a good person was born, with a lovely heart, a friendly disposition,  an enchanting smile, an influential mind, and an appealing personality.  No, today is not my birthday (wink, wink),  but the birthday of someone special,  who I’ve had the pleasure to know from nearly two decades.  We have shared many weekends together, lazing around, having fun and seeing our children grow.  To Dorothy,   my friend and cheer-leader….Happy Birthday and may you have many, many more.

 The Team of ‘Bring On the Chef In You’  are specially dedicating this Apricot Tart for your birthday.  Dorothy, loads of love and may all your days be as special as you are.

 Apricot Tart

1 stick unsalted butter, softened, ½ cup sugar, 1/2 cup  almond powder, 1 large egg, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour , 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon.  In  the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the butter with the sugar, the almonds and the egg and beat at medium-low speed until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder and lemon zest and beat just until a soft dough forms. Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough and flatten it into a disk. Refrigerate until chilled, about 45 minutes.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 170-180 deg C.  On a lightly floured work surface, roll the tart dough out to fit the tart-dish.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tart is  light and golden and tender. Cool on a wire rack in the tart pans until room temperature.

Make custard as per instructions on packet.  Add ½ cup Apricots, cut into tiny bits.  Cool.  To assemble tarts (just prior to serving): Spread the cooled custard into the tart shell.  Top with sliced Apricot.  If desired,  drizzle honey or sugar syrup on top of the Apricots.