This is a quick light dish and ridiculously easy to make. It is also a one pot dish and for once, you do not have to sear the paneer.
You need
1 pack of paneer cubed
Yogurt- enough to marinate the paneer
I onion finely diced
3 green cardamoms
1 clove
1 piece of cinnamon
Few pieces of black peppercorn
1 black cardamom
3 cloves of minced garlic
Minced ginger
Salt
2 tbspn kasoori methi
2 green chilies
Turmeric
Coriander powder
1. Marinate the paneer in the yogurt.
2. Heat some oil in a pan. Add the green cardamom, clove, black cardamom, cinnamon and peppercorn, and wait till you hear the cardamom splutter. Add the onion and cook till you get a translucent hue.
3. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for a minute.
4. Now add the powdered spices , the turmeric and the coriander powder, and sauté
5. Add the paneer and yogurt.
6. Add salt and kasoori methi with some water. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
7. Add loads of chopped green coriander and serve.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Chocolate Pots de Crème
I invited friends over for dinner on Sunday. My menu included my virgin attempt at cooking meat, I ended up making a "chicken tikka masala," I just substituted chicken for the paneer in my tried and tested " paneer tikka masala" recipe. (http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2010/07/paneer-tikka-masala.html )
It worked fine.
Now coming to the problem that always baffles me - dessert. My original idea was to make a "khubani ka meetha" with mascarpone. I found the recipe on the Masterchef web site-
http://starplus.startv.in/masterchef/mcrecipe.aspx?cname=KandlaNijhowne&id=119&sid=40
I thought the concept of using mascarpone with the apricot and adding pomegranate seeds was genius. The sweetness of the apricots, balanced with mascarpone rather than whipped cream, and the pomegranate seeds bursting in your mouth while adding freshness and pizzaz to the recipe. However, I couldn't find dried apricots at the store. Again as usual, I started to surf food and wine magazine. At this point, it was the afternoon of the dinner day, and I was desperate, till I stumbled on this recipe. Pot de crème ("pot of cream") is a traditional French custard typically served in a pot-shaped cup. It is pronounced as "poe de krehm', with a soft 'd' like we have in Hindi. This milk-chocolate version from pastry chef Frank Urso is easy and I got it right the first time I made it. I was looking for a dessert recipe for a dinner party, and foiund this recipe on food and wine magazine. I have copied the original recipe here, with my comments in bold.
I followed the following link to make this recipe.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/milk-chocolate-pots-de-creme
The dessert turned out to be dense rich decadent chocolate custard, topped with whipped cream. It also looks very pretty in a martini glass. I modified the above recipe, using semi sweet chocolate, and halving the amounts. It made four servings.
1. 10 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped ( I used 4 ounces of semi sweet Ghirardelli chocolate and 2 ounces bitter sweet)
2. 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped ( mentioned above)
3. 1 cup milk ( used ½ cup)
4. 1 cup heavy cream ( used ½ cup)
5. 1/4 cup sugar ( used 2 tbspn)
6. 5 large egg yolks ( used 3)
7. Crème fraîche and chocolate shavings, for garnish ( I used whipped heavy cream with vanilla extract and confectioner’s sugar)
8. Vanilla Extract ( My touch)
• In a large heatproof bowl, combine the milk and bittersweet chocolates. (Tempering chocolate. I just took the chocolate in a glass bowl and micro waved it for 2 minutes. You need to keep doing this and checking the chocolate, till it melts)
• In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, heavy cream and sugar to a boil, whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved.
• In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually whisk in half of the hot cream. (Be careful here and keep whisking. You do not want the egg to scramble. Make sure you add the cream, little at a time)
• Whisk the egg-and-cream mixture into the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the custard coats the back of the spoon, about 4 minutes. Pour the custard over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes, and then stir until smooth. ( At this stage, add some vanilla extract)
• Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until very smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the mixture into four 4-ounce ramekins and refrigerate until chilled, 2 hours.
• Let the pots de crème stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Garnish with crème fraîche and chocolate shavings; serve. ( I served with whipped cream. I also kept the dessert out for longer, you want the custard to be softer, it turns hard in the fridge. )
It worked fine.
Now coming to the problem that always baffles me - dessert. My original idea was to make a "khubani ka meetha" with mascarpone. I found the recipe on the Masterchef web site-
http://starplus.startv.in/masterchef/mcrecipe.aspx?cname=KandlaNijhowne&id=119&sid=40
I thought the concept of using mascarpone with the apricot and adding pomegranate seeds was genius. The sweetness of the apricots, balanced with mascarpone rather than whipped cream, and the pomegranate seeds bursting in your mouth while adding freshness and pizzaz to the recipe. However, I couldn't find dried apricots at the store. Again as usual, I started to surf food and wine magazine. At this point, it was the afternoon of the dinner day, and I was desperate, till I stumbled on this recipe. Pot de crème ("pot of cream") is a traditional French custard typically served in a pot-shaped cup. It is pronounced as "poe de krehm', with a soft 'd' like we have in Hindi. This milk-chocolate version from pastry chef Frank Urso is easy and I got it right the first time I made it. I was looking for a dessert recipe for a dinner party, and foiund this recipe on food and wine magazine. I have copied the original recipe here, with my comments in bold.
I followed the following link to make this recipe.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/milk-chocolate-pots-de-creme
The dessert turned out to be dense rich decadent chocolate custard, topped with whipped cream. It also looks very pretty in a martini glass. I modified the above recipe, using semi sweet chocolate, and halving the amounts. It made four servings.
1. 10 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped ( I used 4 ounces of semi sweet Ghirardelli chocolate and 2 ounces bitter sweet)
2. 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped ( mentioned above)
3. 1 cup milk ( used ½ cup)
4. 1 cup heavy cream ( used ½ cup)
5. 1/4 cup sugar ( used 2 tbspn)
6. 5 large egg yolks ( used 3)
7. Crème fraîche and chocolate shavings, for garnish ( I used whipped heavy cream with vanilla extract and confectioner’s sugar)
8. Vanilla Extract ( My touch)
• In a large heatproof bowl, combine the milk and bittersweet chocolates. (Tempering chocolate. I just took the chocolate in a glass bowl and micro waved it for 2 minutes. You need to keep doing this and checking the chocolate, till it melts)
• In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, heavy cream and sugar to a boil, whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved.
• In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually whisk in half of the hot cream. (Be careful here and keep whisking. You do not want the egg to scramble. Make sure you add the cream, little at a time)
• Whisk the egg-and-cream mixture into the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the custard coats the back of the spoon, about 4 minutes. Pour the custard over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes, and then stir until smooth. ( At this stage, add some vanilla extract)
• Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until very smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the mixture into four 4-ounce ramekins and refrigerate until chilled, 2 hours.
• Let the pots de crème stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Garnish with crème fraîche and chocolate shavings; serve. ( I served with whipped cream. I also kept the dessert out for longer, you want the custard to be softer, it turns hard in the fridge. )
Monday, January 10, 2011
Apple Bread Pudding
We were invited to a friend's house for dinner and I was struggling to figure out a dessert we could take with us, rather than just the obligatory bottle of wine. Historical evidence over the years does let me know what I am not capable of - baking. Baking is a little too precise for me. I am more of the ,"throw a little bit of this" and "a little bit of that" kind of a girl. So, I tried baking cookies two months ago. What a disaster that was. Some of the cookies were burnt, some underbaked. The cookies definitely needed more sugar and everything ended up in the trash can. Also, dessert is definitely not my forte. I actually avoid making dessert, because I am the only one who ends up finishing it in my house. Who needs the extra calories?
And so I ended up browsing "food and wine" for something I could make. My partner likes apple pie, and I definitely wanted to make something he would appreciate. I have made bread pudding in the past. But this one was different. It turned out light and fluffy, with a flavor that reminded me of apple pie. So I found this recipe, which Tre Wilcox from "Top Chef" had made in one of the seasons. Here is a link to the recipe
http://www.bravotv.com/foodies/recipes/apple-and-brioche-bread-pudding
He just toasted brioche and cored the apples, which he then baked in vanilla anglais. Vanilla anglais is heavy on egg yolk. The pudding was deemed as heavy and I can understand why. Vanilla anglais is great on it's own, and works well with cakes and fruit. However, further baking it would make it denser.
However, Gail Simmons modified the recipe. She cooked the apples in calvados, she also lightened the custard. I love the idea of using brioche as the bread base for the pudding. Brioche is a light, slightly sweet, eggy bread and also makes as an excellent bread for french toast. The difference between using plain white bread and brioche is huge. This is the Gail Simmons recipe I followed ,
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/apple-bread-pudding
I used a lesser amount of bread. I had a loaf of brioche; I used only three fourths of the loaf; I think the custard needed more sugar; I cooked the apples for more than one and a half minutes after adding the calvados. Here is the original recipe with my modifications in bold .
1 pound brioche, cut into 1-inch pieces – (12 cups of bread) I used 8 cups of bread.
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup sugar (I used ¾ cup sugar for the custard and ¼ cup brown sugar for the apples. In the future I will add an extra 2 tbspn sugar to the custard)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup Calvados or other brandy ( I used Calvados)
4 large eggs, beaten ( I make sure that these are at room temperature)
3 cups milk ( I used 2 ½ cups milk and ½ cup cream)
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped ( I used pure vanilla extract)
Whipped cream or crème fraîche, for serving (I made this by whipping 1 ½ cup oh heavy whipping cream, with 4 Tbspn confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract. I made the cream a little sweeter, because my bread pudding was a little less sweet than what I aimed for)
Nutmeg, 1/2 cup raisins , 1/2 cup walnuts ( my additions)
1 Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the brioche on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until lightly golden and dry.
2 Similarly toast the walnuts.
3 Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter; reserve 3 tablespoons of the melted butter in a small bowl. Add the apples and 1/4 cup of the sugar (use brown sugar here ) to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are golden and softened, about 15 minutes. ( I did so for 12 minutes) Stir in the cinnamon. ( I also added nutmeg) Remove from the heat and add the Calvados. Return the skillet to the heat and cook until the sauce is syrupy, about 1 minute. I cooked for an addition 3-4 minutes, till the smell of alcohol was not as pronounced.
4 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar. ( I think an extra 2 tbspn sugar will be better) Add the vanilla essence, raisins and walnuts. Add the brioche and apples and toss until evenly coated. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the brioche to absorb the custard.
5 Brush an 8-by-11-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the reserved melted butter. Add the bread pudding and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter on top. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is golden. Let the bread pudding cool slightly, and then serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche.
And so I ended up browsing "food and wine" for something I could make. My partner likes apple pie, and I definitely wanted to make something he would appreciate. I have made bread pudding in the past. But this one was different. It turned out light and fluffy, with a flavor that reminded me of apple pie. So I found this recipe, which Tre Wilcox from "Top Chef" had made in one of the seasons. Here is a link to the recipe
http://www.bravotv.com/foodies/recipes/apple-and-brioche-bread-pudding
He just toasted brioche and cored the apples, which he then baked in vanilla anglais. Vanilla anglais is heavy on egg yolk. The pudding was deemed as heavy and I can understand why. Vanilla anglais is great on it's own, and works well with cakes and fruit. However, further baking it would make it denser.
However, Gail Simmons modified the recipe. She cooked the apples in calvados, she also lightened the custard. I love the idea of using brioche as the bread base for the pudding. Brioche is a light, slightly sweet, eggy bread and also makes as an excellent bread for french toast. The difference between using plain white bread and brioche is huge. This is the Gail Simmons recipe I followed ,
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/apple-bread-pudding
I used a lesser amount of bread. I had a loaf of brioche; I used only three fourths of the loaf; I think the custard needed more sugar; I cooked the apples for more than one and a half minutes after adding the calvados. Here is the original recipe with my modifications in bold .
1 pound brioche, cut into 1-inch pieces – (12 cups of bread) I used 8 cups of bread.
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup sugar (I used ¾ cup sugar for the custard and ¼ cup brown sugar for the apples. In the future I will add an extra 2 tbspn sugar to the custard)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup Calvados or other brandy ( I used Calvados)
4 large eggs, beaten ( I make sure that these are at room temperature)
3 cups milk ( I used 2 ½ cups milk and ½ cup cream)
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped ( I used pure vanilla extract)
Whipped cream or crème fraîche, for serving (I made this by whipping 1 ½ cup oh heavy whipping cream, with 4 Tbspn confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract. I made the cream a little sweeter, because my bread pudding was a little less sweet than what I aimed for)
Nutmeg, 1/2 cup raisins , 1/2 cup walnuts ( my additions)
1 Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the brioche on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until lightly golden and dry.
2 Similarly toast the walnuts.
3 Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter; reserve 3 tablespoons of the melted butter in a small bowl. Add the apples and 1/4 cup of the sugar (use brown sugar here ) to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are golden and softened, about 15 minutes. ( I did so for 12 minutes) Stir in the cinnamon. ( I also added nutmeg) Remove from the heat and add the Calvados. Return the skillet to the heat and cook until the sauce is syrupy, about 1 minute. I cooked for an addition 3-4 minutes, till the smell of alcohol was not as pronounced.
4 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar. ( I think an extra 2 tbspn sugar will be better) Add the vanilla essence, raisins and walnuts. Add the brioche and apples and toss until evenly coated. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the brioche to absorb the custard.
5 Brush an 8-by-11-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the reserved melted butter. Add the bread pudding and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter on top. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is golden. Let the bread pudding cool slightly, and then serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Saffron Pistachio Dip
This goes well with crackers, bread sticks, and even bagels.
1 pack of soft Philly cream cheese
Milk
Saffron
Pistachios
Garam Masala
I do not remember the exact proportions, since I kept adding, adjusting, and tasting.
Mix the saffron in hot milk and keep adding.
Grind the pistachios.
Keep adding garam masala till you get a perfect flavor.
1 pack of soft Philly cream cheese
Milk
Saffron
Pistachios
Garam Masala
I do not remember the exact proportions, since I kept adding, adjusting, and tasting.
Mix the saffron in hot milk and keep adding.
Grind the pistachios.
Keep adding garam masala till you get a perfect flavor.
Chilly Paneer
You see, I am a sucker for Indo-Chinese food, any restaurant known as “masala wok” or “spice and zen” has me instantly. I always loved chowmein, gobhi Manchurian, fried rice, chilly paneer, sweet and sour soup etc. The strong tangy flavors always resonated with me, and I still prefer Indo- Chinese food over traditional Chinese food at times, at least the take out variety or American –Chinese food. Although I must admit, I love Panda Express at times. It is right opposite my house and the noodles and spicy eggplant with the Rangoon cream cheese fried wantons, hit a spot at times. :)
Indo-Chinese food gets it unique flavor from a combination of Indian ingredients such as garam masala, cilantro and tamarind with Chinese soy sauce, ginger, garlic, vinegar, green chilies, and scallions. I think it is a great marriage between two cuisines, backed by century’s old cooking traditions. The two flavor profiles complement each other so well; it’s like a perfect marriage between two people who just complete each other. And then, I love paneer. I still don’t understand why people use tofu as a substitute in curries. Tofu is tasteless, while paneer has a nice meaty flavor and texture, which my partner says reminds him of chicken. Paneer stand up well to strong Indian sauces. And it works very well, in this Indo-Chinese dish as well.
Chilly Paneer is made after deep frying the paneer which is coated in a cornstarch batter. I hate deep frying, so I always avoid that step. I just sauté the paneer till I get a sear.
1 pack paneer
1 tomato
I bunch spring onions
Corn flour
Ginger
Garlic
Garlic chilly paste
4 green chilies
Soy sauce
1. Saute paneer till golden.
2. Heat some oil. Add the ginger garlic and wait for the raw smell to dissipate.
3. Add the chopped spring onions.
4. Add ginger garlic paste.
5. Add the tomato, cook till pulpy.
6. Add the green chillies.
7. Mix corn flour in some water and mix.
8. Add paneer. Cook for a while.
9. Add soy sauce.
Indo-Chinese food gets it unique flavor from a combination of Indian ingredients such as garam masala, cilantro and tamarind with Chinese soy sauce, ginger, garlic, vinegar, green chilies, and scallions. I think it is a great marriage between two cuisines, backed by century’s old cooking traditions. The two flavor profiles complement each other so well; it’s like a perfect marriage between two people who just complete each other. And then, I love paneer. I still don’t understand why people use tofu as a substitute in curries. Tofu is tasteless, while paneer has a nice meaty flavor and texture, which my partner says reminds him of chicken. Paneer stand up well to strong Indian sauces. And it works very well, in this Indo-Chinese dish as well.
Chilly Paneer is made after deep frying the paneer which is coated in a cornstarch batter. I hate deep frying, so I always avoid that step. I just sauté the paneer till I get a sear.
1 pack paneer
1 tomato
I bunch spring onions
Corn flour
Ginger
Garlic
Garlic chilly paste
4 green chilies
Soy sauce
1. Saute paneer till golden.
2. Heat some oil. Add the ginger garlic and wait for the raw smell to dissipate.
3. Add the chopped spring onions.
4. Add ginger garlic paste.
5. Add the tomato, cook till pulpy.
6. Add the green chillies.
7. Mix corn flour in some water and mix.
8. Add paneer. Cook for a while.
9. Add soy sauce.
Indian Vegetarian Noodles
1packet Hakka Noodles
1 tspn garlic chilly paste
Sriracha Sauce
Magi sweet and hot sauce
Soy Sauce
Garam Masala
Ginger garlic paste
1pack of broccoli slaw
1 bunch of green onions
Salt
1. Heat some oil. Add the ginger garlic and wait for the raw smell to dissipate.
2. Add the chopped spring onions.
3. Add ginger garlic paste.
4. Add the broccoli coleslaw and the garam masala.
5. Meanwhile, boil the noodles in some salted water till they have a nice bite but are not mushy.
6. When the vegetables are ready, add the cooked noodles.
7. Add the soy sauce, sriracha and magi hot and sweet.
Serve with chilly paneer.
1 tspn garlic chilly paste
Sriracha Sauce
Magi sweet and hot sauce
Soy Sauce
Garam Masala
Ginger garlic paste
1pack of broccoli slaw
1 bunch of green onions
Salt
1. Heat some oil. Add the ginger garlic and wait for the raw smell to dissipate.
2. Add the chopped spring onions.
3. Add ginger garlic paste.
4. Add the broccoli coleslaw and the garam masala.
5. Meanwhile, boil the noodles in some salted water till they have a nice bite but are not mushy.
6. When the vegetables are ready, add the cooked noodles.
7. Add the soy sauce, sriracha and magi hot and sweet.
Serve with chilly paneer.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Kofta Rice
I just totally loved this dish. The combination of the spicy koftas, sweet raisins, crunchy cashews, and cool mint is a sensory delight. I like to go to the Master Chef India website and read recipes, and that is where I found this recipe. It has many components to it which includes making spicy kidney bean balls, cooking the rice, frying the cashews and raisins, and finally bringing it all together with tomatoes, spices. I served this with a pomegranate raita and chilies. Inspired by Smita’s recipe
http://starplus.startv.in/masterchef/mcrecipe.aspx?sid=40&cname=Smita+Dugar
• Making the Kebabs
Can of kidney beans – 400 ml
Garam masala
Coriander powder
Mint Leaves
Salt
Ginger paste
Coriander
Corn flour
Mix all the above together and sauté small kidney bean patties. Keep aside.
• Rice
Boil 1 ½ cup of rice with frozen vegetables (corn, beans, carrots, peas) and salt, I clove, and 1 lack cardamom. Remove spices when done. Keep rice aside.
• Fry some cashews and raisins in ghee keep aside.
• Spice paste
Onion – finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
Cumin
Mint leaves
Coriander leaves
Garam masala
Coriander powder
1 bay leaf
Cumin seeds
Ginger
Garlic
Oil, bay leaf, cumin, ginger, garlic, onions till golden.
Tomatoes till pulpy.
Mint and Coriander leaves, garam masala.
Assembling
Add the rice to the spice paste and mix. Check for seasoning. Add the kebabs, cashew and raisins. Garnish with coriander and mint.
Serve with pomegranate raita – Yoghurt, coriander leaves, mint leaves, salt, and black pepper.
Bhari mirch –Remove the ribs and seeds of four Serrano chilies. Fill with aamchur, salt, garam masala, haldi. Saute in oil with panch phoron.
http://starplus.startv.in/masterchef/mcrecipe.aspx?sid=40&cname=Smita+Dugar
• Making the Kebabs
Can of kidney beans – 400 ml
Garam masala
Coriander powder
Mint Leaves
Salt
Ginger paste
Coriander
Corn flour
Mix all the above together and sauté small kidney bean patties. Keep aside.
• Rice
Boil 1 ½ cup of rice with frozen vegetables (corn, beans, carrots, peas) and salt, I clove, and 1 lack cardamom. Remove spices when done. Keep rice aside.
• Fry some cashews and raisins in ghee keep aside.
• Spice paste
Onion – finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
Cumin
Mint leaves
Coriander leaves
Garam masala
Coriander powder
1 bay leaf
Cumin seeds
Ginger
Garlic
Oil, bay leaf, cumin, ginger, garlic, onions till golden.
Tomatoes till pulpy.
Mint and Coriander leaves, garam masala.
Assembling
Add the rice to the spice paste and mix. Check for seasoning. Add the kebabs, cashew and raisins. Garnish with coriander and mint.
Serve with pomegranate raita – Yoghurt, coriander leaves, mint leaves, salt, and black pepper.
Bhari mirch –Remove the ribs and seeds of four Serrano chilies. Fill with aamchur, salt, garam masala, haldi. Saute in oil with panch phoron.
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