Mangochi Kadhi

Mangochi Kadhi

The first time I had Mangochi Kadi was at an event at one of the hotels in my city. I absolutely loved it. For those who do not know, Kadhi is a yogurt based curry which is made in many parts of India and varies as per the region. For me I adore the one from Punjab, thick spicy and luscious.

The one I had at the hotel was celebrating food from Delhi and since the chef is from Uttar Pradesh, a northern state of India the food was heavily influenced by food from the state. I loved the spread and this particular dish stuck with me. Firstly the yogurt based gravy is tangy with a hint of spice and the soft spongy lentil fritters soak up all the goodness of the yogurt based gravy and it is a sheer delight to have this with some Basmati rice or a variant of rice of your choice.

Making Kadhi is easy but needs some amount of patience on the cook's part. Ever since I learnt this tip from celebrity chef Harpal Singh Sokhi's videos my Kadhi has never ever split again.

And then there is the small tip on how you can get the softest spongiest pakoda (lentil fritters)

It was only when I was soaking the pulse that I realized my grandmother makes a similar dish though not yogurt based where she soaks pulse and blends it but makes koftas out of them which are not deep fried but rather grilled on a tawa on the stove top and used in a curry changing the texture of the lentil dumplings.

I did not follow a particular recipe but did take tips from here and there. In fact I have been wanting to make this Kadhi for almost a month now but got around to doing so after Ruchi from Foodfellas4U posted her recipe but then again she made a tomato based gravy and since I find the  tomatoes available during the summers and monsoons in India to be a bit bland I made Kadhi the yogurt based gravy.

For this recipe you do have to plan a bit ahead. You have to soak the pulse overnight or for a good 8 hours or so.


Serves 3 to 4

Cup used holds 210ml liquid

1 cup split moong pulse
2 green chili
1/4th tsp ginger paste

200gm yogurt
500ml to 600ml water
3 cloves
7 to 8 whole peppercorn
2 large dried red chili
Pinch of hing / asafoetida
Salt as per taste
1 large bay leaf
1 heaped tsp cumin powder
1 heaped tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chili powder

Mustard oil for frying the lentil fritters
1 tsp ghee
Pinch of turmeric
Finely chopped cilantro or coriander leaves for garnishing


Wash the pulse till the water runs clear. Now soak the pulse overnight or for 8 hours.

Drain the pulse and blend it with 2 green chilies , a pinch of salt and 1/4th tsp ginger paste till you get a fluffy smooth mixture. Do not add any water. This pulse mixture will be thinner than the pulse mixture made with soaked Urad pulse. Take this pulse mixture in a separate bowl. Do not wash the blender.

Blend 200gm yogurt in the same blender in which you have blend the pulse. The little bit of pulse mixture which is stuck to the blender when blend with the yogurt helps in thickening the Kadhi. Normally some gram flour is mixed with yogurt when making Kadhi but here that will not be required.

Now take the yogurt in a bowl. Add 500ml to 600ml water bit by bit and whisk it well. Add salt and turmeric and whisk well.

Heat oil and make little fritters from the pulse mixture. Kep a bowl filled with water near you. You have to keep adjusting the flame from medium to high to low. Ideally when you are putting the batter in the oil it should be hot and and then lower it to medium or low. It takes a bit of time and practice to master this technique. Once a batch is browned but not burnt. To prevent burning you need to keep adjusting the heat. So once the fritters are fried put them in the bowl of water. This way a lot of oil is soaked by the water so that your fritters are less oily in the end. I learnt this tip of soaking the fritters in water from Ruchi's blog.

Once all the fitters are fried pour excess oil in another bowl and reserve it to be used once again but make sure this oil is not used after the second time. Now take 1 tsp mustard oil and 1 tsp ghee and heat it and asafoetida, cloves, whole peppercorn, dried red chili and bay leaf  and fry it for a few seconds. Make sure you do not char them and then add the yogurt mixture, cumin powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and a bit of extra turmeric . Now is where you need a bit of hard work. Keep stirring the pot constantly on medium to low heat till it comes to a bowl. It takes time and it can be a bit frustrating but this is the only way to ensure your Kadhi is velvety smooth.

Once it comes to a boil gently squeeze the fritters but ensuring that you do not break them and add it to the pot where the Kadhi is simmering and simmer for 7 minutes to 10 minutes and rest for 2 minutes. Garnish with finely chopped coriander /cilantro leaves. Serve with hot rice.

Tips

1. When making the fritters you have to keep adjusting the heat from high to medium. When you add the batter to the oil it should be hot else the fritters become hard and then adjust heat to medium to prevent burning.
2. It is extremely important to keep stirring the pot constantly after adding the yogurt mixture to ensure the Kadhi remains velvety smooth. 

Chickpea Tahini Salad

Chickpea Tahini Salad 

Since I am celebrating salad weeks and its coming to an end here is a very simply Chickpea Tahini Salad.

For the Tahini please check out the recipe here. Recipe for Tahini

Makes 2 servings :-

I usually boil and keep aside chickpea cooked from 1 cup of dried chickpea and I used 6 tbsp cooked chickpea
2 cups of shredded iceberg lettuce
1 tbsp finely minced parsley
Tahini as per taste ( I used 2 tbsp as dressing)
Salt as per taste

Here is a quick tip on boiling chickpea. Till this year's January I have always soaked chickpeas and then cooked it. Then a blogger friend, Rhea shared an article which actually stated that chickpea cooked without soaking yields better flavours. A lot of people who are part of the food group said that ever since they had switched over to this no soak business of cooking chickpea they have not looked back. I tried the method out of curiosity and also because many people swear by it and as it turns out they were 100% correct. Chickpea cooked without pre-soaking it is much more tasty than when soaked and cooked. Please note that the dried chickpea used must not be too old and it does take a bit of extra time for cooking which is completely worth it. I usually use 1.5 cups of dried chickpea and simmer it for over an hour with 7 cups of water, a pinch of salt and a tiny pinch of bi-carbonate of soda which fastens the cooking process.

For the salad simply toss everything together and let the diner top his or her salad with the tahini sauce as dressing.

Green apple Rocket Salad with chili garlic dressing

Green apple Rocket Salad 

with chili garlic dressing 

If there are two things for which my dedication and passion stays constant it is preparing dishes and working for Market Research.

Quite often my aunt and my husband complain about my sense of punctuality . They say other than something that involves food or my work where I would be earlier than required  I am not at all punctual when it comes to meeting them at a certain time and I am quite ashamed to say that I am guilty as charged. I am working on my sense of time when it comes to matters other than work or food but as for now I am one hundred percent dedicated to my week of celebrating salads.

I love tangy taste and when tangy flavour meets the flavours of chili and garlic it makes me even more happy. As a child I enjoyed mixing raw mango slices with cayenne pepper and salt and would spend each afternoon throughout my summer holidays with a book in my room.

When it comes to Green apples also known as Granny Smith Apples I love the tangy flavour and the crunch hence this salad is a perfect summer time treat for me.

Have it for brunch, lunch or dinner its ultimately healthy and delicious. I have intentionally used rocket leaves for their peppery taste and I feel that the other lettuce leaves would not do justice to this salad because they would not have the unique flavour of rocket leaves. The pimiento stuffed olives gives a Mediterranean touch to the salad and the flavour of the olives with the apples and rocket leaves with the hint of garlic and chili is fantastic.

I usually make my condiments as much as I can and hence my chili garlic paste was homemade but you may use some chili oil if you do not have the inclination to make it at home.

Serves 1

1 Green apple
Half a cup of rocket leaves
10 Pimiento stuffed Olives

For the Dressing

1.5 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4th tsp Chili garlic paste
1/4th tsp fresh thyme leaves
Salt as per taste


Chop the apples. Mix with the rocket leaves and sliced stuffed olives.

I make my chili garlic paste and keep it in the refrigerator for about 2 months to 6 months. What I do is soak 1 head of garlic with 80gm hot dried red chili in enough vinegar to just about soak them. At times I use Rice Wine Vinegar and then there are times that I would go for White wine vinegar or red wine vinegar or any other vinegar of my choice. I let it soak for 2 hours and blend it to make a paste with some salt. This comes handy when I am cooking Chinese dishes as well.

Whisk the dressing with a fork. Pour over the salad and enjoy.

Creamy Potato Dried Fig Salad

Creamy Potato Dried Fig Salad 

For me the best feeling in the world is breaking bread with friends and family over laughter at the dinner table. I would happily spend the entire day in the kitchen preparing dishes and if my guests like what they are served that does make me happy but at the same time it gives me equal pleasure to prepare a dish for myself alone.

As a freelancer who works from home I am not required to step out of my home unless for that trip to the market or a quick visit to the bank or courier service . Then there are times when I want to go out and enjoy a cup of coffee with a friend.

Anyway the point is I would put in the same amount of effort when I am cooking for myself as I would when I cook for 8 guests.

So on a mundane Wednesday afternoon with Lana Del Rey's songs to keep me company I made this salad for myself which includes some of my favourite ingredients. I somehow like a sharp tart taste more than anything else . Hence I used hung curd for this salad and its not just to make the salad healthy. Another favourite ingredient is the humble potato. The softness of the boiled potato alongside the crunch of iceberg lettuce and the sweet taste of dried figs with the creamy dressing made this mundane Wednesday a little less mundane. I do not like overcrowding my dishes with too many flavours hence I used one herb alone.

My father did take a  small serving and he liked it mostly for the yogurt which is quite cooling for this sultry weather.

Here is some absolute random thought from my end :-

"Just because I appear to be a blank page

Do not take the liberty to think that you may scribble all over it 

For I have written all over it with my invisible ink " 

Makes 2 servings :-

Cup used holds 210ml liquid

1.5 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
2 large boiled potatoes
6 to 8 dried figs

For the dressing :-

200gm curd which you make into hung curd by tying it in a cloth and letting the excess liquid drip away for 2 hours
1 tbsp finely minced fresh parsley
Salt as per taste
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil


Boil the potatoes but take care not to over boil the potatoes because if its over boiled it breaks easily and you would be unable to chop them up to a shape of your choice. Cube the potatoes. Chop the figs.

Shred the lettuce and chill the lettuce , figs and potato cubes.

Just before serving make your dressing by whisking the hung curd, EVOO, salt and finely chopped parsley and pour over your salad and enjoy a healthy meal.

Walnut Pesto Salad

Walnut Pesto Salad 

I am whimsically disciplined. If there is a routine I want to follow I would do that no matter what and if I feel like it I would let myself go and let things flow in any direction that it wants to flow. Take for example my love for waking up early in the morning. I love it when I wake up early in the morning before the cacophony of the world takes over. I like sitting with a cup of coffee in absolute silence while the earth slowly and steadily wakes up.

At the same time if I want to I would stay awake all night and sleep till 12 in the afternoon.
At times I feel like writing random sentences which cannot be linked together except that the thought behind those sentences have at some point made an impact on my life whether small or big.
So just recently I discovered that there are two singers whose songs I absolutely adore. One being Lana Del Rey and the other is Ellie Goulding. Their songs make me happy as does this celebration of salad week. This helps me stay focused on a healthy diet.

Take a day such as today. Usually on days like these where I would get an invitation to taste a very elaborate delicious spread and have a long chat afterwards I would usually end up eating something unhealthy for dinner but thanks to my dedicated 1 week to salads I came back and put in that wee bit effort and voila here is a healthy hearty salad.

A somewhat course and delicious pesto 

Cup used holds 210 ml liquid

Serves 1

1/2 cup whole walnuts
30gm Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt as per taste
2 cups of shredded iceberg lettuce
3 to 4 small sized garlic cloves
1/4th cup fresh mint leaves


Shred the lettuce and chill it in the refrigerator. Start making your pesto by pounding  the garlic to a smooth pulp and then add the mint leaves and continue grinding and slowly add a bit of oil salt and walnuts and keep grinding and finally add the Parmesan which you might want to cut into small pieces for easy incorporation. Keep grinding till you get a coarse  pesto. Add on the chilled iceberg lettuce and have a hearty meal. If you want your pesto to be creamier add more EVOO.

Gondhoraj Ghol

Gondhoraj Ghol 

There are very few things I like about the Indian summers. Its not just the oppressive heat which drives everyone crazy on top of that I have one of the most strange allergies. I am allergic to extreme hot temperature which means throughout the 3 or 4 months of  oppressive heat my eyes become red if I am out in the heat for more than half an hour and my skin starts itching terribly.

Yes life is tough but as it so happens that I am lucky enough to work from home and even with the problem with my eyes one of the few things I love about the summers is plenty of sunshine actually strong sunlight which leads to plenty of sun dried tomatoes which disappear within half the time of drying it and then there are the pickles that I make and then of course mangoes.

The last few days have been terribly hot and that had led to a complete loss of appetite and all I wanted was something refreshing.

Lately my obsession are these Bengal limes called 'Gondhoraj lebu'. All the fragrance which it is famous for is in its skin.

A few weeks back I had bought a couple of these limes and then had forgotten about them for a few days and then one fine day out of no proper reason I used a thin slice of the lime in plain water and the refreshing taste and beautiful aroma was what led to this complete obsession. Since then I have been experimenting with different types of dishes where I might use it. I had started off with a fish poached with gondhoraj slices and even though I used it right at the end there was a mild bitterness.

My friend from France, a trained chef advised me to use the zest alone and then I remembered how most of the bitterness comes from the pith.

My next experiment, Spatchcock Gondhoraj Chicken was cause of complete and utter delight. It was one of those beautiful dishes that I would look back in the future and be proud to have made.

So the bottom line is that I am buying these limes every now and then and then I happened to remember this fantastic cooling and refreshing drink I have had at one of Kolkata's beloved restaurants which serves traditional Bengali food, 6, Ballygunge Place .

Nowadays the mere thought of the aroma of Gondhoraj makes me happy and making a ghol 'a yogurt based thin drink is one of the msot easy things to do'

To me ghol is to Bengal what Lassi is to Punjab except that Lassi is thick creamy and delicious while ghol from the East is absolutely thin so that its consistency is like buttermilk.

Needless to say this was loved by one and all

Makes 2 servings

200ml thick plain curd
300ml ice cold water (as chilled as possible)
Sugar as per taste (I needed 2 tbsp)
Zest of 1 gondhoraj lebu
Tiny pinch of salt

Start by grinding the sugar in a coffee grinder. I have seen that this step makes it easy for the sugar to dissolve in the drink.

Just blend everything together and serve immediately.

Soft Homemade Cottage Cheese Salad

Soft Homemade Cottage Cheese Salad 

Indians do not traditionally use a lot of cheese in their food but there is one cheese which is used extensively in India and that is Homemade cottage cheese aka Paneer in India. The truth is most people buy the readymade paneer these days but then again readymade paneer can never match up to a well made homemade paneer. Basically it is split milk clustered together and then drained of all its water to make firm cheese.

In Bengal people are more specific with this homemade cottage cheese for Bengal has an intense love affair with cottage cheese as is proven by the extensive use of cottage cheese known as 'Chana' not 'Chena' in Bengal. Not only do they make the softest chana ever they use it in one other form which includes kneading the cheese really well.

Now recently there has been an increased popularity of flavoured Paneer which I love but quite frankly paneer as a whole is firm in nature and on this particular day I wanted a soft melt in the mouth cheese without the calories that come along with most good cheese.

I was struck by this idea and I put it to good use with a very satisfactory result. Basically everything remains the same except for the technique.

So here is the recipe :-

Serves 2

For the Cheese:-

1 litre toned milk
1.5 tbsp vinegar diluted with 2.5 tbsp water
Wooden platform for kneading

For flavouring :-

Herbs of your choice, I used rosemary
Salt as per taste
Chili flakes or freshly ground pepper

For the salad :-

4 cups of assorted shredded lettuce
2 green apple

For the dressing

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp white wine vinegar
Salt as per taste
1 large clove of garlic finely minced

Bring the milk to a roaring boil and then lower the heat and add the diluted vinegar. Within 2 minutes white cheese will be floating about in green whey. Now switch off the stove, cover the pot and leave for 5 minutes.

Now gather all the cheese in a cheesecloth or muslin cloth and wash it under cold water squeezing out all the water after you are done washing . If it still feel too hot for sqeezing out the water let it hang for 15 minutes.

Now start kneading the crumbly cheese , knead it well for 5 minutes , add the flavouring and keep kneading for another 10 minutes to 15 minutes (Remember that the more you knead the softer your cheese will be) and then make a fat roll and tie the cheesecloth after squeezing it well so that it is moist but not wet and leave it to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Now toss your salad. Whisk the ingredients for the dressing to make an emulsion and carefully slice the cheese. It is ultra soft and as a result it may break a little bit but its so soft that you can make perfectly shaped cheese cubes or balls or discs using clean hands, something which I did not do.

Enjoy a healthy meal.

Tips

1. Kneaded on a wooden surface does result in a softer texture. I can vouch for this from experience.
2. When you are kneading the cheese try rubbing it well against the wooden surface and then gathering the cheese with the sides of your finger and palm. 
3. Since you are using your hands make sure its absolutely clean for hygienic purpose 

Nawabi Paneer

Nawabi Paneer 

Some dishes are celebratory dishes and this Nawabi Paneer which I make for special draws heavily from Nawabi chicken. It is a rich decadent creamy nutty gravy and is fit for the royalty indeed .

I made this when my mother-in-law's visit almost came to an end and since she loved it as did my husband and brother-in-law I am sharing this extremely easy recipe.

Serves 3 to 4

1 litre full cream milk
1.5 tbsp vinegar diluted with 2 tbsp water

2 tsp ginger garlic paste
Onion paste made from 1 medium sized onion and 2 green chilies
50gm cashew nuts
1/4th of a coconut
1.5 inch cinnamon
1 large bay leaf
2 cloves
Pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp milk
Pinch of nutmeg
2 blades of mace
1 tbsp crumbled khoya (In case one doesn't have khoya one can use 1/2 cup cream)
Salt as per taste

2 heaped tsp ghee

Start by making your paneer. Simply bring the milk to a boil and then lower heat and add the diluted vinegar and wait for 5 minutes for the paneer to form. You know its done when the white paneer clumps flat around in a green liquid called the whey. Switch off the gas and cover and leave for 5 minutes and then strain the paneer in a cheesecloth or muslin cloth and reserve the whey . Hang the cheesecloth for 15 minutes and then press it on a flat surface to make a slab with the cloth around it and place a plate on top and a mortar and pestle or a heavy book on the plate and leave for 45 minutes. You will have the softest paneer ready to be used.

Soak the khoya, cashewnuts and coconut in 1/2 cup reserved whey while the paneer is being made. Soak the saffron in the milk.

Now make a smooth paste of the ginger and garlic and then reserve it and make a smooth paste of onion and green chilies with 1 tbsp of reserved whey. Make a smooth paste of the soaked khoya, cashew nuts and coconut. Use extra whey if required.

Heat the ghee and saute the ginger garlic paste and then add the bay leaf and the onion paste and saute till the raw smell goes away and add the cinnamon after crushing it well and then add the crushed cloves. Now add the Khoya cashewnut coconut paste and mix well and add 1/4th cup whey and bring to a slow boil and add salt  , crushed mace and the nutmeg and the paneer and then simmer covered for 5 minutes to 7 minutes. make sure you check from time to time and give it a stir if it shows sign of sticking to the bottom of the wok. Once done the gravy should be velvety smooth and thick but not extremely  dry. Add the saffron , mix well and serve with hot rice.

Payesh/ Bengali Kheer/ Payasam

Payesh/ Bengali Kheer/ Payasam

One of the most basic Indian desserts is the Rice Pudding. It goes by many many names be it Payesh in Bengali, Kheer in Hindi, Payasam in tamil and telegu, payasa in Kannada or Khiri in Oriya.

Its an easy basic recipe indeed yet perfecting it is really an art.

To be fair I am fortunate enough to have an aunt like my Mimi who can perfect each and every Bengali recipe. Now the problem is once you have had the perfect dish or to be politically correct lets say its perfect for me then it is difficult to enjoy any other variations which falls short of being perfect. As a result throughout my childhood and adulthood the only place I would relish this decadent creamy dessert was at my Mimi's (even my grandmother's kheer pales in comparison to my Mimi's) till the day I asked her to teach me how to make it.

The best part about Mimi as a teacher is that she tries and explains each step and gives me the reasons wherever possible.  This one is neither too thick so that the creaminess is overshadowed by the rice clotted together and nor is it too liquid in nature. Its just right.

This is one of the desserts I have made again and again and again from a very long time and so here goes a simple easy recipe which I have tried to keep as precise and detailed as possible

Recipe :

Makes about 4 to 5 servings

Cups used hold 220ml liquid

1 litre full fat milk (you cannot use toned milk else it will most definitely compromise the taste)
1 handful of . rice washed thoroughly (it comes to about 1/4th cup of rice ) { This rice is short grained and sometimes it is sold as kheer rice in many places, it is called Atop Chal or Gobindobhog chal in Bengali)
1 handful of sugar + 2 tbsp sugar but you must change the amount of sugar as per taste
2 green cardamom
1 large bay leaf
50gm broken cashew nuts
Fat pinch of saffron soaked in milk
1 tsp ghee

Bring the milk to a boil in a deep bottomed pan and the ghee , green cardamom and bay leaf  . Adding the ghee keeps the dessert extra smooth.

Now reduce the heat to the lowest possible temperature and add the washed rice and simmer it. Use a wide spatula to stir the mixture every 10 minutes for the next 45 minutes make sure the bottom of the pan does not burn.

Add the cashew nuts after 45 minutes.

After 50 minutes of simmering it with frequent stirring check the rice . It would have been cooked by now and will be of a melt in the mouth consistency. Now add the sugar . You must not add sugar before the rice is fully cooked else the rice remains uncooked.

You must stir continuously for the next 10 minutes to 15 minutes to prevent the dessert from sticking to the bottom and getting ruined. After 10 minutes add the soaked saffron and simmer while stirring continuously for another 2 minutes and switch off the gas.

Let it cool down and chill it for 3 hours to 4 hours and serve after giving the dessert a good stir. You must stir before serving because a thick cream will form on top which must be mixed well with the desert for the creamy smooth consistency.

Enjoy this classic delicacy

Tip

1. During the winters we get a special jaggery called 'Nolen Gur' in Bengal which is palm date jaggery and we repalce the sugar with the jaggery and it gives a divine taste. 
2. Many people love adding raisins to the dish. If you wish to do so add it when you are adding the cashew nuts. 
3. You can replace the cashew nuts with blanched  pistachios or blanched and chopped almonds. 

Cholar Dal (Bengali Chana Pulse)

Cholar Dal (Bengali Chana Pulse)

There is little to be said about this Classic Bengali Pulse. Bengalis  cook this  for all special occasions be it the Pujas, weddings, rice eating ceremony, gathering of friends and family or just for a special Bengali meal. You can team it up with all purpose flour pooris which Bengalis call 'luchi' or hot steaming rice and julienne potato which is deep fried .

The bottom line is that, this is a classic dish. Now its mostly the same recipe followed everywhere with a few variations. Here is one that I know of passed down by my Mimi (aunt) whose mother had passed it down a long time ago.

Serves 4 to 5

1 cup Chana pulse 'cholar dal'
1 tbsp clarified butter 'ghee'
2 green cardamom
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
2 to 3 dried red chili
Half a cup diced fresh coconut
A handful of raisins
Salt as per taste
Pinch of turmeric
Sugar as per taste (Now, traditionally  this pulse is supposed to be a bit on the sweeter side so I would personally use 1 tbsp to 1.5 tbsp sugar but you can adjust as per your taste)
4 cups of water
1 large bay leaf

Soak the pulse for 1 hour and then pressure cook it on low flame till 1 whistle to 2 whistles and let the steam go out on its own. It should have cooked by that time.

Now heat the ghee and add the ginger and saute and then add the cardamom , bay leaf and red chilies and keep sauteing and then add the coconut and raisins and finally the pulse. If it seems too thick add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil and add salt, turmeric and sugar and simmer for 10 minutes. It should be of a medium thickness and the pulse must retain their shape. Its traditionally supposed to be a thick pulse but not as thick as the North Indian Mah ki Dal aka Dal makhani

Creamy Potato Spinach 'Aloo palak malaiwale'

Creamy Potato Spinach 'Aloo palak malaiwale' 

There here are some dishes which you anyway know are going to be delicious because butter and cream makes everything extra delicious. Now normally I don't even bring in fresh cream in my house because the thought of those extra kilograms hanging from everywhere on my body  is not something I relish thinking about but then there are those special occasions when you can actually indulge and my mother-in-law's visit is reason enough to make a creamy lip-smacking Aloo Palak Malaiawale aka Creamy Potato Spinach.

Now before I share the this recipe let me tell my readers from before that any substitution of the ghee or cream used here will not render the same results at all. In case you want to not use ghee the only other substitute for ghee can be mustard oil but even that cannot give it that delicious taste that ghee gives .

Anyway moving on to the recipe

Serves 3 to 4

4 medium sized potatoes cubed into medium size
1 large bunch of spinach
1.5 tbsp minced garlic
1 inch ginger chopped julienne
1 green chili julienne
Salt as per taste
4 cups of water
4 heaped tbsp fresh cream
2 heaped tsp clarified butter 'ghee'
Pinch of asafoetida 'hing'
Garam masala made with 1/2 black cardamom, 1 green cardamom, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp coriander seeds, 1 blade of mace, pinch of nutmeg, 1 bay leaf , 1/2 inch cinnamon, 3 cloves
3 to 4 green chilies
Dollop of butter

Start by dry roasting the ingredients for your 'Garam Masala' and then grinding it to a fine powdery consistency.

Now ever since I read this Italian chef's tips on maintaining the green colour of spinach I have never had  trouble with maintaining its colour. Its simple actually. Wash the spinach well. The easiest way to make sure you get rid of all the dirt is to fill a bit pan with water and then chopping off the end of the spinach and soaking the leaves in the water and rubbing them and cleaning them. This mostly gets out all the dirt.             Bring the 4 cups of water to a boil. Now add the chopped spinach leaves and let it boil for exactly 2 minutes and immediately take out the spinach and there you have boiled green spinach. Reserve the water in which you have cooked the spinach.

Cube the potatoes and heat the ghee and add the asafoetida 'hing' and when it splutters add the minced garlic, ginger and chili  and saute till softened and add the potatoes and cook on medium heat to saute the potatoes and add the reserved spinach water and bring to a boil and add salt and then simmer covered till the potatoes are mostly cooked. It might take anything between 10 minutes to 15 minutes.

In the meantime make a paste of the cooked spinach and 3 green chilies.

Now add half the garam masala and remove the cover and cook till the curry dries up. Add the spinach paste and mix well and then add the cream and mix well and simmer for 2 minutes . taste and add salt if required. Serve with a dollop of butter on top with soft chapatis or hot fluffy rice.

Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer Butter Masala 

I usually like trying out different versions of the same dish so that I might eventually find a recipe which suits my taste buds perfectly. Such was the case with Paneer Butter Masala also known as Paneer Makhani. Lets face it the name itself suggests it must have copious amount of butter but then the recipes I have had till date did have butter and a lot of ingredients yet there was something which was missing.

Now Butter and I go long back. My Dima 'maternal grandmother' would always compliment the Punjabis due to their use of butter in most dishes. All throughout my growing up years I was fed a meal of hot steaming rice with a good 50gm of butter and numerous boiled and mashed vegetables. Lucky for me my parents had got me admitted to swimming and till I  was involved in some pretty heavy exercise which kept my weight in check. Anyway coming back to the dish, now I know that everyone wants to be healthy and that's great. In fact on any regular day you'l find me with a bowl of steamed vegetables or a raw salad and some boiled egg or poached chicken but when it comes to certain dishes you cannot just try and make them healthy. It takes away the entire essence of the dish. Exercising and balancing your diet on every other day is how you stay healthy not by trying to make a dish named Butter Masala healthy.

Anyway back to the recipe. I had discovered the lovely robust chef Harpal Singh's videos quite by chance and after my tremendous success with his Kadhi I naturally knew whom to turn to for the Paneer Butter Masala. So here goes the recipe. I did use homemade paneer and believe me when I say that once you have made homemade paneer there is no looking back. You can use store bought paneer if you are not much inclined to making your own paneer .

Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi's Paneer Butter Masala

Serves 3

For the paneer :-

1.5 litre full cream milk
1.5 tbsp vinegar diluted with 2 tbsp water or 2 cups leftover whey

For the tomato gravy

6 medium sized tomatoes roughly chopped
6 green cardamom
3 blades of mace
100gm butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh cream (I used Amul Cream but do use double cream if you have access to it )
Salt as per taste
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder

For the final gravy

Ginger the size of half your little finger cut into julienne
2 green chilies de-seeded and cut julienne
1/2 tbsp butter
The freshly made tomato gravy

The final paneer made at home 

Start by making the paneer. Simply bring the milk to a roaring boil and then add the diluted vinegar or whey and lower the temperature and let the milk for the cheese and when you see the green coloured whey with the cheese floating around switch off the stove and cover and keep for 5 minutes . Strain the cheese but reserve the whey and tie the cheese in a cheesecloth or muslin cloth and drain it for 15 minutes to 20 minutes and then flatten it out with the cloth and put in on a plate and put another plate on top with a mortar and pestle or a heavy book on the plate and leave for 1 hour or so. Cut the slab into cubes and there you go , you have soft fresh paneer.

Store the whey in the refrigerator for future use. If you knead your dough for chapatis with whey the chapatis turn out extra soft, used in vegetable curries it enhances the flavour and if used for the next batch of paneer you will get the softest paneer ever.

Final tomato gravy 

Now start off with your tomato gravy. Melt 1 tbsp butter and add the chopped tomatoes and cook over medium to low flame till its mushy (covering and cooking gives faster results) and add the mace and cardamom and cook till it forms a paste and add the Kashmiri chili powder , add salt and cook for another minute . Let it cool down and blend it smooth .

Now mince the garlic. Melt 1 tbsp butter and saute the garlic and add the tomato paste and cook of medium flame , stirring continuously for 3 minutes and add 75gm butter and mix well and cook for 1 minute and add half a cup of cream and cook on low flame for another 2 minutes and your tomato base is ready.

Now melt 1 tbsp butter and saute ginger chopped julienne and the green chilies and add the paneer cubes and saute well. When the paneer turns golden add the tomato gravy and mix well and simmer for 3 minutes and serve with hot chapati or butter nan or Basmati rice.

Nimki (Bengali Namak Pare)

Nimki (Bengali Namak pare) 

Memories can take you in a trance. It makes you do things that you usually do not do. This is actually the first Durga Puja where I am away from my family. To be fair growing up Durga Puja meant 3 things to me, visiting my maternal grandmother on Shasti which is one of the  auspicious days during the Durga Puja , holidaying somewhere and then eating a lot of sweets on Dashami but when I would get tired of the sweets I would run to the 'Bharar Ghor' which means the store-room , take the container which contained crispy, crunchy salty treats and take a handful and keep munching on them.

As far as I can remember there has not been one single day in our family when 'Nimki' was not present in the house. Nimki is a deep fried crunchy flaky crispy snack which is an utter delight to have with your tea or just like that. Its known as Namak Pare in the Northern parts of India but that variant is slightly different.

To be fair lets talk a bit about the lady who was responsible for the year round presence of Nimki at our home. If I were asked to describe my amma 'paternal grandmother' I would say she is intensely independent in all its true sense, extremely strong willed, confident, progressive, former school teacher , traveler and the lady who cannot live without her 'Nimki's . If she would have had her way she would have carried these crispies everywhere be it Europe or Australia or Africa but sadly for her the immigration at various airports have different ideas.

Anyway what has always marvels me is despite being all those things she has this intense interest in the kitchen.  Age might have slowed her down but she refuses to bow down to age and creates a ruckus in the kitchen but then again we can't take the fire away else the candle will stop burning all together.

To be fair the one thing that my grandmother taught me was to take the best of things without prejudice and even though there is no room for prejudice in this case the recipe I followed is my Mimi's (aunt's who never gets one single dish imperfect) and with her tips anyone can make perfect Nimkis such is her ability to teach all which I would share with you. She gets her recipes from her mother which was shared a good 40 years ago.

I decided that this was the day I would make Nimkis which led to a phone call where all I could say was 'I am making Nimkis and I remembered you' to which my grandmother said, 'I will make Nimkis for you when you come back' Well this time I will make her those crispy delight.

I dedicate this to everyone and serving this with all those fabulous sweets on Dashami , Navaratri and any special occasion is sure to win your guests over.

Before we begin one should know that controlling  and temperature and having patience are the key ingredients to this recipe

So here is a recipe which makes enough Nimki for 5 to 6 people

2.5 cups all purpose flour
Pinch of baking soda
Salt as per taste (I needed 1.5 tsp)
Fat pinch of Oion seeds 'Kala jeera'
6 tbsp vegetable oil for the dough
1 tbsp rice flour (the traditional method)  or cornflour
1/2 cup lukewarm  water
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp chili powder
Juice from 1 lemon

Refined Oil for deep frying

Start by making your dough by dumping the dry ingredients along with the spices and salt in a large bowl and mixing them with your clean hands and then make the hole in the center and add the oil and slowly add the water bit by bit working your dough continuously. At first the dough will be a bit sticky but you must keep working it till it becomes a smooth elastic dough. Leave it covered for 15 minutes and now heat the oil (medium flame )  in a deep bottomed pan. Divide the dough and roll it out and then cut it into diamond shaped patterns and deep fry till golden on both the sides.

You must remember that when you put the diamond shaped dough in the oil it must be on medium heat and after  1 minute turn it down to low and fry it on low. It will take you anywhere between 10 minutes to 15 minutes. You know they are almost done when they feel hard to touch with the spatula .

Now you must increase the temperature to medium for 2 minutes and then take them out with a slotted spoon , drain them and then let them cool down before trying them out.Store them in air-tight containers and enjoy with your cup of tea.

Important tips :-

1. The lemon juice and baking soda make the nimkis crispy 
2. Controlling temperature is very very important. If you try frying the nimkis on high heat it will burn them or give it a bitter taste. 
3. Don't be scared to use as many nimkis in the oil as possible because in the beginning they might seem a bit crowded they soon start frying and separating 
4. Testing their done-ness is a bit like testing biscuits where you need them to completely cool down 

This is part of Kolkata Food Blogger's Durga Puja Event 

Tofu Patty

Tofu Patty 

For those of us who eat eggs breakfast can always be made fast and simple and healthy but then what about those who don't eat eggs? A well there are many an Indian option but most of them are time consuming to make and need a lot of pre-planning.

I came up with the idea for a Tofu patty on a day when I had precious little time on my hands. Usually I try and look up a recipe over the internet for a base but this time I really had no time to do that either. What came to my rescue was Tofu which had been soaked and in water and stored in the refrigerator and an age old Bengali method of making cottage cheese balls. I altered the recipe but followed the method of making the balls and flattened them to make patty.

So here goes the recipe :-

Serves 2

200gm Firm Tofu which has been soaked in water and kept in the refrigerator
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Salt as per taste
Freshly ground pepper about 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp
3 tbsp to 4 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp finely minced garlic
2 tsp olive oil

Oil for frying

First drain the tofu and crumble it as finely as you can with clean hands and then add the rest of the ingredients except the cornflour and mix very well and try and make a dough. Slowly add the cornflour and mix it well. Now try and make little balls out of the dough, you will find it crumbling a bit but that's alright just keep pressing to make a patty.

Heat oil on medium heat and gently place the patty. Let it cook on medium to low heat for 2 minutes and flip it over and cook for 2 more minutes. Make sure you do not burn the patty.

Enjoy your breakfast by placing the patty inside wholewheat buns slathered with a hung curd dip for a healthy breakfast. Alternately you can slather butter or mayonnaise and make it an indulgence