Curds/Coconut Curry + Bittergourd Side-Dish

I love simple meals, and this is one of them. Hot rice, a sour and spicy Curd/Coconut curry, a spicy vegetable, some pickle and pappadam; makes me happy, any day, any time. You will also catch me slurping on a large bowl of this brew; not necessarily at lunch time .
Care to try ? Am sure you will ….again and again.
Curd/Coconut Curry:
2 Cups curds
1 Cup desiccated coconut
1 Cup (approx) water
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2-3 green chilies
Small bunch of coriander leaves
Curry leaves – few
Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
Methi seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
Red chillies 2 – roughly broken
Ginger -1″ crushed in a pestle
Salt to taste
Oil or ghee

Grind very fine -the coconut, cumin seeds, green chillies and coriander leaves. {I separately put the desiccated coconut in a dry grinder and powder it very fine, then add the remaining ingredients- this gives best results}. I used 2 green chillies – you can add more if you like it more spicy; my family likes it mild. Keep aside till required.

In a pan, add little oil/ghee and put the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add methi, crushed ginger, red chillies and curry leaves. Then add the coconut/chilly paste and saute for sometime. Add curds a tablespoon at a time and mix till fully incorporated. It is important to stir immediately when adding the curds; or it may separate and curdle. Add salt to taste and enough water to make a thick curry and keep on fire till it comes to a boil. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve steaming hot.

Bitter-Gourd Side Dish
1 Kg Bittergourd (Cut into halves-remove pith and slice fine).
1.5 teaspoon/or more chilly powder or bafat powder
1.5 cups thick curds.

Wash the bittergourd. Add salt and keep aside for 10-15 minutes. Then wash away the salt and squeeze out as much water as you can. Add chilly/bafat powder, curds and salt to taste (careful with the salt- as you just added salt and washed it out). Let it rest for 15 minutes.
In a non-stick pan, put 3-4 tablespoons of oil and add the bittergourd mixture. Keep on a very slow fire. Keep stirring every 5 minutes or so and scrape off any that may be stuck to the pan. It will take about 1 hour for it to cook and be nice and crisp. When it is brown and crispy add 1 tablespoon sugar..and let it caramalise. Keep stirring till you can see oil separate from the mixture. Put the fire off…. keep the vessel in a tilted position..so that all the excess oil drains out. Transfer to another dish…(so that you dont have too much oil). Serve hot.

Oats Dosa

Here is a special Oats Dosa;   it is a great variation to the normal Rava Dosa.  If you do it right it should be crisp and paper thin.  You have got to try this.  Have with sambar, or coconut chutney.

Ingredients :
Oats – 1 cup
Rice Flour – ¼ cup
Semolina – ¼ cup
Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
Onion medium – 1, chopped fine  + another for brushing the pan
Whole Pepper crushed coarse- ½ teaspoon
Green chilly -1-chopped fine
Salt to taste
Enough water to make a runny batter
Oil for frying and sautéing the onion

Heat a non-stick pan and dry roast the Oats till it turns slightly light brown.  Cool and powder it in a dry-grinder.  In a pan add a little oil and sauté the onion and green chilly and keep aside.  Take a bowl and add the powdered oats, rice flour, semolina, cumin seeds, sautéed onion & green chilly, crushed pepper and salt to taste.  Add enough water to make a runny batter.

Take a little oil in a bowl and keep aside.  Take one onion and peel it and cut it flat at the base – so that it can stand upright.  Take a fork and prick it. Soak the onion in the oil..this will be used as your brush to smear the pan with oil.

Heat a non-stick pan and smear it with oil with the onion-brush so that it is coated with a thin film of oil.  Take a ladle of batter and splash it on the hot pan.  It will be holey here and there…not to worry..just fill in the larger holes and shake the pan from side to side, so that it forms a round pancake/dosa.  Cover and let it fry till crisp and when the edges start to loosen,  remove and serve hot with coconut chutney and sambar.

Special Buns

Bring On The Chef In You, wishes all our readers a blessed and spiritual season of Lent. On the suggestion of our readers, we will abstain from posting any meat dishes during the Lent period. We may throw in some dishes with fish though.
Lent is the Christian observance of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. The traditional purpose of Lent is the penitential preparation of the believer—through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, and self-denial. Its institutional purpose is heightened in the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events of the Passion of Christ on Good Friday, which then culminates in the celebration on Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. During Lent, many of the faithful commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxury as a form of penitence.
I was pleasantly surprised when my little niece, Sonal, (who is little no longer ); decided not to log on to Facebook for a full forty days during Lent.  Now is’nt that something. Sonal, we are proud of you.

These Special Buns are stuffed with the goodness of vegetables. You dont have to follow the recipe for stuffing – do your own as per your liking. How about a mushroom stuffing…should taste awesome too.

For the Dough:
Flour (maida) 1-1/2 cups, milk ¼ cup, water ¼ cup +/-, yeast ¾ tablespoon, sugar 1 tablespoon, salt ¾ teaspoon, olive oil 3 tablespoons.

Take flour in a bowl, add salt and olive oil and mix. Take ¼ cup warm milk, add ¼ cup water and then add yeast and sugar and mix. Leave aside for 10 minutes till it bubbles. {If it does not bubble then the yeast is no good and you may have to try again or get a fresh batch of yeast}. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and form a soft dough; softer than chappati dough; else dip your hands in water and knead the dough. The dough should be soft and smooth to have soft and fluffy buns. Knead well, cover with cling wrap and leave aside to rise for half an hour to an hour till it has doubled in size.

When it rises, punch it and form balls 6-7, brush with a little olive oil and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

In the meanwhile, prepare the filling. You can use any filling of your choice. I used mixed vegetables for the stuffing.

For Stuffing:
Potato 2 Nos. boiled and grated, carrots/beans/peas – half cup- steamed and mashed, medium onion 1, jeera ½ teaspoon, ajwain ½ teaspoon, garam masala powder ¼ teaspoon, chillie powder ½ teaspoon, turmeric powder ¼ teaspoon, coriander leaves –few, lemon juice and salt and oil as needed.
In a pan add little oil and add jeera and ajwain, then onions and sauté for a minute or two. Add chillie powder, garam masala, turmeric and salt and stir. Then add the cooked vegetables  and mix with fork. Add salt, coriander leaves and lemon juice and keep aside.
Take one of the balls of dough and press to make a small hollow and put a tablespoon of stuffing into it. Pinch the edges and seal. Then lay the balls, seam side down on a baking tray. Complete all the other balls this way, brush with olive oil and leave enough gap between the buns. Keep aside for another 20 -30 minutes to rise some more.
Preheat oven to 190 deg C. By this time the balls would have doubled in size (almost). Bake for 17-20 minutes till the crust turns golden. Each oven is different, so keep a check after 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately brush with butter. These are so fluffy, soft and good and are best eaten warm, fresh out of the oven. Enjoy !!!!!

Kerala Chicken Roast

Owe this recipe to a friend of mine, Prasad.  While I slog away at work without a lunch break,  this dude goes home for lunch .  And whenever he sees that am a bit stressed,  on his way back he gets me a parcel of whatever ‘main course’ he wolfed .  I was recently at the receiving end of this Chicken Roast made by his lovely wife;  and after a couple of requests,  he got me the recipe.  And of course I had to make it at home to share it with my wonderful readers .  You will be surprised to know that only six ingredients are used for this flavourful chicken, coconut oil, corriander powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder, chillie powder  and curry leaves.

Come with me to know the secret to this awesome Chicken Roast…you will be amazed at the flavour.  For best results, use a non-stick vessel (this I say from experience); or you will end up with ‘burnt chicken’ if you dont keep a watchful eye on the chicken.

Ingredients :  Chicken (1 Kg), coconut oil 5 tablespoons, coriander powder 4 tablespoons, pepper powder 2 tablespoons, chillie powder 2 tablespoons, turmeric powder 1 teaspoon,  curry leaves (a handful) and salt as required.

Cut chicken into approx. 16 pieces, wash thoroughly and put in a colander to drain excess water.  Then put in a large bowl and add all the ingredients, except the oil and curry leaves and leave aside for 15 minutes.

Heat coconut oil in a pan (preferably non-stick and thick bottomed) and when warm add the curry leaves and stir, then add the chicken and fry for sometime.  When all the water evaporates,  sprinkle a tablespoon of water and stir and fry.  When it gets dry again then add another tablespoon of water and fry.  Keep on a slow fire and fry till the chicken is cooked, say approximate 25-30 minutes.  When done;  garnish with a few more curry leaves and stir.   Keep warm till serving time.

Bread Pudding

Happy Birthday Glavina,
Here’s wishing your special day….
Pops with lots of smiles, joy and fun…..
Have a great one Glavina !

Savour this easy to make Bread Pudding. Have it warm or chilled.

Ingredients :
Bread – 1 loaf sliced (preferably milk bread, else use normal white bread)
Milk – 6 cups
Sugar 1 cup
Eggs 3 small
Butter – 4 tablespoons heaped
Nutmeg – ¾ (grated extra fine)
Vanilla essence – 1 tablespoon
Baking powder 1 teaspoon
Nestle cream or plain cream or half and half (1/2 cup)
Cashew-nuts – broken – half cup
For Caramel coating – 4-5 tablespoons of granulated sugar.

Boil milk and keep off heat. Add sugar and butter and stir. Break the bread into coarse pieces (crust and all) and soak in the milk. Add enough bread till there is no milk visible. Cool. Beat eggs in a separate bowl, add grated nutmeg, vanilla essence. Pour into the cooled bread mixture. Add baking powder, cream and cashew-nuts. Mix gently with a fork till it is mixed. Do not overmix or the pudding will be soggy and sticky. Keep aside.

This was a larger one & the Caramel was darker..giving it a bitter-sweet flavour

Take a 8 or 9” aluminium pan, add 4-5 tablespoons of granulated sugar and keep on slow heat till it caramelises. Do not stir with spoon, but hold the pan with a kitchen tong and shake it till it coats the bottom and about 2” of the sides of the pan. Cool and then add the bread mixture to the pan. Steam for 40-45 minutes. I steamed it in a tondor (idli steamer). Leave in the steamer till cool, then invert on a flat plate and garnish with few cashew-nuts on the top. Have it warm or chilled.

Fish Shashlik

Fish Shashlik :

Fish Fillets – ½ Kg  (Cut into cubes, add salt and lemon, then wash and keep aside-this ensures elimination of the fishy smell)
Onions 2  (Cut into cubes same dimensions as fish)
Capcicums 2 (Cut into cubes same dimensions as fish)
Tomato 2   (Cut into cubes – I did not use;  but you can)
Salt – 1 tsp
Chilly Powder 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste 1 teaspoon
Cumin (roasted and crushed) 1 tsp
Lemon juice of 1 lemon
Garam Masala Powder or All Spice Powder – 1 teaspoon
Oil 2 tablespoons

Mix all together.  Put on skewers and BBQ/Grill or shallow fry in little oil.  Brush with BBQ sauce now and then.

BBQ Sauce :

Green chilles 2 (chopped into slanting slices)
Green Chillies 1 (finely minced)
Sugar 1 teaspoon
Chillie Powder 1 teaspoon
Salt -1/2  teaspoon
Garlic paste ½ teaspoon
Vinegar 2 Tablespoons
Tomato ketchup 5 tablespoons

Take oil in a small pan when heated add garlic and fry for a few minutes.  Then add all other ingredients and cook for 5-8 minutes.  Cool.   Keep ½ of the sauce for basting, and ½ to be used as a dip at serving time.

Garlic Naan :

They don’t look so good in the pictues,  but they tasted awesome, soft and with a hint of garlic.   I fried them on a tawa but you could also bake them in a hot oven.  This is one recipe that you should try out.

For the dough : 2-1/2 cups plain flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1-1/2 teaspoon yeast granules, 2 tablespoons ghee, 4 tablespoons yogurt, 1 teaspoon garlic, cut very fine,  1 teaspoon onion seeds/kalongee, coriander leaves 1 tablespoon cut fine, honey 1 tablespoon.

Mix all the above ingredients.  If the dough is still too hard add two tablespoons of water and knead till a soft dough is ready.   Put in a greased bowl and cover with cling wrap and leave to rise for 1-1/2 hour.   The dough will have doubled by now,  punch it back and roll into disks and keep on a flat greased platter to rise.  Bake in a 200 deg. C oven for 5-8 minutes till puffed up or fry on a tawa till it is done (I did it on a tawa).  Brush with garlic butter/plain butter.  Serve hot with Fish Shashlik.