Frozen Plum Yogurt

 Frozen Plum Yogurt 

One of the ingredients I miss in the Indian market during the summers are berries. As it is India does not grow too many berries and we get out share of strawberries during the winters. The truth is there is an abundance of fruits we get here during the summers but somehow I always crave a tart fruit during the summers especially to be used for frozen desserts etc etc.

Anyway the rains came in, the humidity rose and along came the season for plums. So when I got this season's first batch of plums it turned out a bit more tart than expected and while at first I did not know what to do with them I suddenly had an idea and it resulted in a creamy tart frozen yogurt.

I adapted BBc food's recipe for Plum preserve and made some frozen yogurt

You might be left with some extra plum sauce which you can use later on

Please note that the  amount of sugar I have used is a bit on the lesser side so feel free to use more sugar

For the Plum Preserve

450gm Plums
170gm sugar
200ml water
2 inch cinnamon stick
A few drops of lemon juice

For the frozen yogurt :-

400gm yogurt which is made into hung curd
100ml dairy cream


Tie the yogurt in a cheesecloth or muslin cloth and let the water drain away for 2 hours to create hung curd.

In the meantime make your plum preserve. Stone the plums and chop them. After chopping them they would roughly weigh 400gm or so.

Bring the water and sugar to a boil and boil for 1 minute and add the chopped plums , cinnamon stick and lemon juice and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the scum. Let it cool down.

Chill the cream in a large bowl. Once the hung curd is made whip it with the chilled cream and then add 1 cup of the plum preserve and fold it in.

Cup used holds 250ml liquid.

Freeze for 2 hours to 3 hours until just set and scoop out and serve immediately. Do not over freeze it else it becomes rock hard and you end up with scoops of frozen yogurt with a little bit of ice crystal in them.

The end result was perfect for me , mostly tart with a hint of sweetness. If you want it to be sweeter make some syrup of single thread consistency and add the syrup which you must cool before adding to the yogurt and cream when whipping it.

                          

Butter Chicken / Murgh Makhani

Butter Chicken / Murgh Makhani 

Cut to 2017 and when I finally tried the butter chicken from Moti mahal Daryaganj, Delhi where this iconic dish had been created donkey years ago .  I realized how the real butter chicken should be like and I also realized that the butter chicken I had created using the recipe from this fabulous cookbook from the house of moti mahal gifted to me by Pritha tasted quite similar to the one I tasted at Moti Mahal.

Be warned that copious amount of butter has been used in the recipe and its meant to be that buttery. This is supposed to be for those are days of indulgence hence a bit of extra buttering is welcome.

Back in 2007 right out of school I was learning to make a lot of new dishes and I had tried the butter chicken masala but since our oven was broken at that time I used the chicken normally after frying it and so I can assure you that the tandoori chicken makes a whole lot of difference.

To be fair the entire process is not difficult at all. A little bit of patience is needed what with the time for marination and the grilling of the tandoori chicken but the end result is magnificent.

I understand if you have just moved into a new house or are yet to buy an oven then of course you have no other option but to use the gas stove for the chicken before it is cooked in the gravy. In that case pan roast it . I don't recommend this wholeheartedly but then again originally the tandoori chicken is made in a clay tandoor 'Clay Oven' so there you go.

What I particularly liked was that the book used chicken with bones. I personally feel when cooking Indian gravies chicken with bones work much better than boneless chicken and then I was assured by many on social media that originally it was cooked with bones but not with the skin on mind you.

Serves 3 to 4

You need tandoori chicken : Recipe Here : Tandoori Chicken


For the gravy you need 560gm tomatoes (firm and ripe)
1 heaped tsp ginger paste
1 heaped tsp garlic paste
85gm to 100gm softened butter
100ml to 120ml full dairy cream
Salt as per taste
1 tsp tandoori masala / garam masala made with green cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaf, black peppercorn and cinnamon
1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder

Once the tandoori chicken has been made start with the gravy.

Melt 1 tbsp butter and add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 1 minute and add chopped tomatoes and saute stirring continuously for 3  minutes to 5 minutes on medium flame and add 3/4th of the remaining butter. Now lower the heat and simmer till the oil separates and the cream , tandoori masala or garam masala , some salt and mix well and cook on low heat till its bubbling away. Joint the chicken (cut it up into medium sized pieces using a butcher's knife) and add this to the gravy , cover and cook for 4 minutes and then Mix well , add the remaining butter and serve with hot butter chapati or tandoori roti. Enjoy

Tips :-

1. If using salted butter go easy on the salt in the gravy 
2. In case you are not using the oven for the tandoori chicken . Marinate it as instructed and then heat a bit of ghee or mustard oil in a shallow flat pan and add the chicken and cook on low heat covered for 6 minutes per side. Then one the pan increase heat and cook for 2 minutes per side. Let it rest for 5 minutes and cut it into pieces. 

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. 

Mango Sorbet

Mango Sorbet 

The season for mangoes is coming to an end. My favourite variant , Gulab Khas had already bid adieu some time back and the only other variant which I am getting here in Kolkata is the 'Langa'. I love variants of mango with a sweet and tangy taste.

Most people in India love mangoes and consider mangoes to be the King of all fruits. I personally love them but I do love other fruits as well.

My mother particularly adored them and since she is very choosy I was quite happy with the dish even though I found it a little bit on the higher side of the sweetness meter but the tangy taste from lemon balanced it out .

 I followed the recipe to almost a tee from Larousse Gastronomique and the result was  outstanding with almost no ice crystals at all. It was  the sugar syrup which prevents ice crystals and along with the lemon juice made it a perfectly refreshing delicacy. So even without a sorbetiere or ice-cream maker this recipe gave me smooth velvety sorbet.

1 kilogram mangoes which is peeled and gives 530gm mango puree (I used the Langda variety of amngoes)
250ml sugar (Make a syrup with 330gm sugar and 500ml water. Simmer it till it  reaches 106 Centigrade and comes down to 250ml of sugar syrup. Takes 10 minutes 15 minutes or so)
Juice from 1 big lemon


Make the syrup and add a bit of lemon juice which prevents crystallization of the syrup. The recipe is particularly easy. Peel the mangoes and de-seed them and then blend the pulp and then strain it. Mix it with the syrup and juice of lemon and whisk well. Freeze it and scoop out delicious balls of mango sorbet.

Please note that I did not keep track of the exact amount of time it took me to make the syrup. I used a candy thermometer and when it reached 106 C and was bubbling away I switched it off but its definitely for 10minutes and a bit more. 

Lemon Tea Granita

Lemon Tea Granita 

The only 2 things which freshens me up after a long tiring day is either a combined workout of yoga pilate stretch or some granita and sometimes both. India might officially have 3 months of summer but the rainy season is equally bad. On days it rains in Calcutta the weather seems tolerable but there is this humid heat which though not quite as oppressive as it is during the peak of summers it still is quite uncomfortable. To be honest I personally enjoy these even during the winters when the temperature does not go down beyond 15 C or a maximum of 12 C. This is one of the reasons why we that is Guilt Free and I are conducting this event at the onset of the rainy season and are calling ti our Summer Time Love.

Anyway I love Lemon Iced tea . It is refreshing and delightful and so when I came across Larousse Gastronomique's recipe for  Tea Sorbet I knew I had to make it. To b fair since I do not own a sorbetiere and the recipe does not include sugar syrup (which prevents ice crystals from forming) I ended up with ice crystals in my sorbet and quickly turned it into a granita and it was loved by one and all. I added lemon because I love the flavour of lemon iced tea.

The best part is that anyone and absolutely anyone can make it unless they are young enough to not use the gas stove to boil water for the tea.

Makes 10 serving to 12 serving

Make 1 litre tea (The quality of the tea used affects the end product. Use a good quality leaf tea meant to make good black tea. I used Darjeeling leaf tea. Use a leaf tea of your choice)
200gm sugar (The original recipe asked for 300gm but I usually like the sweetness on the lower side so I reduced it quite a bit)
Juice and zest from 1 large lemon (Grate the zest and then squeeze out the juice)


The recipe is really simple. Make tea, dissolve the sugar in your hot tea making sure it dissolves completely. Add the lemon juice and let cool completely at room temperature. Fill an air tight container preferably rectangular with the prepared lemon tea, add the zest of lemon  and freeze. Try forking the granita once its half frozen. And keep forking every 1 hour.


Just before serving keep it at room temperature for 3 minutes to 4 minutes fork it up well . use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the flavourful granita and serve.

Chocolate Shake (Silky , smooth , chilled and gorgeous)

Chocolate Shake (Silky , smooth and gorgeous) 

 Most of the people I am close to know that I am not normally fond of chocolate shakes. I mean I usually prefer a cold brewed coffee which comes out amazing. Read about how I make it right at home without much hassle but a bit of time Click Here.

Anyway late one night I was suddenly craving some chocolate not just any chocolate but chilled mousse. Usually on any given day my refrigerator would definitely have eggs in them but on that night there were none. The moment I realized I could not have mousse my cravings became more strong. For a moment I thought I should temper some chocolates but then again in my head I wanted a creamy chilled chocolaty taste and I always listen to what I crave very carefully. In my case substituting the craving with something not only fails to take care of it in the end I end up gaining weight because I eat the substitute food and then ultimately satisfy my craving.

I immediately started scourging the refrigerator for other possible alternatives when I found the milk with reduced milk in it. By reduced I mean 3/4th of its original content. I always add reduced milk to my coffee for a rich taste since adding cream is not the healthiest option for a regular beverage.

Anyway I suddenly realized that I love hot chocolate not hot cocoa mind you. The difference is in the cocoa butter. Hot cocoa is basically cocoa powder, milk and sugar and maybe a bit of water . Hot chocolate on the other hand is creamy, silky decadent because you basically melt cooking chocolate and add it to milk for a creamy decadence.

And suddenly I knew what I had to do. I quickly took out a bit of milk and put the rest in the freezer. In the meantime I melted the chocolate and added a little bit of milk and stirred it to create a smooth consistency and slowly added the milk from the freezer and everything went in the blender with a bit of sugar and 1 minute later I was sipping on the best chocolate shake for me. It was completely chocolaty, silky , smooth and gorgeous but needed some improving on.

So the next time I developed it and after 2 tries voila I have my perfect chocolate shake for those rare days of indulgence.

Chilled silky chocolaty do I need to go on and on?

So here is what you need to serve one. And pair it with these gorgeous Double Chocolate Chip Cookies and its sheer indulgence. Usually when I have this I skip an entire meal.

What you need :-

10gm brown sugar
60gm to 70gm dark chocolate (50% or more. I used 70% dark)
500ml milk

Freeze 100ml milk in the ice cube tray. Reduce the rest of the milk to 1/2 of its original quantity.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Once completely melted add 50ml milk and create a smooth concoction and slowly add the rest of the milk bit by bit and the sugar and then put it all in a blender and blend away. Chill it extremely well.

Before serving the beverage blend it again with the frozen milk cubes and there you have silky smooth chilled chocolate in a tall glass.

P.S. If you want you can replace half the reduced milk with double dairy cream or single dairy cream.

Batter for South Indian Pancakes (Dosa/Idli/Uttapam/Rotte Batter )

Batter for South Indian Pancakes 

(Dosa/Idli/Uttapam/Rotte Batter ) 

When I had posted the recipe for 'Rotte' (A fluffy pancake made crisp on the outside that stays super soft inside ) I had posted the recipe but without any detailed photograph. So when someone from across the world asked me a few questions regarding the batter I remembered my own experience t,first time I had made this fermented batter which makes quite a few South Indian dishes of different textures be it the soft fluffy 'Idlis' which are steamed , the crisp pancakes 'Dosa' (I do not know why people refer to them as crepes because they are nothing like the French crepes, at best they can be called pancakes) , Uttapams (Thick pancakes) or 'Rotte/ Rotti' Soft fluffy pancakes with a crisp outside. Well my first experience yielded grainy raw batter in the end which did not ferment properly.




So here goes the recipe which was given to me by my mother-in-law :-

Cups use holds 250ml liquid

1 cup split or whole but husked Urad Pulse or whole husked urad pulse (This pulse is white in colour post husking)
3 cups of parboiled Rice
2 tsp salt


Heres a step by step instruction with photographs for preparing the batter.

Wash the pulse and rice separately and soak them separately for 4 hours to 6 hours.

This is how the pulse looks like
(This is Split Urad Pulse. It is even better if its whole but husked and white in colour)
This is post soaking 

This is how parboiled rice looks like 

Once soaked g, reserve thesthe water in which you have soaked the rice and pulse for grinding. This part is extremely important since it is your grinding which makes or breaks the batter.

Start with the pulse. Drain it but reserve the water and grind it for 5 minutes and then add 1 tbsp water and grind it for 5 minutes and then add another 80ml water and grind it for 2 minutes.

At the end of which your batter is likely to look like the photograph given below

Keep grinding it till its absolutely fluffy and smooth. In the end it should look like the photograph given below and absolutely smooth to touch.

It still needs more grinding 

You have to stop your mixer grinder and grind it and stop it and grind it to attain this sooth mixture

This is how the pulse batter looks in the end 

Now remove it from the grinder and store it in a deep vessel.

Now comes the part of grinding the rice. This takes more time but be patient.

First drain it , reserve the water and grind it and then add 50ml water and grind it and divide it into 2 portions.

This is how the batter looks like after grinding it with 50ml water

Now add another 150ml water. Add 50ml at a time bit by bit. grind, stop add water , grind till its a soft smooth mixture . It should look like the picture below.

Work with your other half of the rice by adding 200ml of water bit by bit 50ml at a time and grind it to a smooth consistency like the photograph above and then add half the pulse to half  the rice batter and grind for 5 minutes and do it to the other half and then mix it with 2 tsp salt.

Final smooth mixture of rice and pulse 

Now let it ferment for 8 hours to 12 hours or more. In the end the fermented batter looks like the photograph below

Batter post fermentation 

To make dosas, heat your griddle and brush it with oil. Add the batter and quickly spread it with a clean ladle and cook till golden brown on one side , flip and cook and serve. I usually serve mine with podis.

Dosa 

Rotte (A Rice and pulse pancake from South India)

Rotte (A Breakfast dish from South India) 

I love food. Over the years I have known that for me comfort food doesn't expressly stay within the dishes that I was first introduced to as a child. In my 9th standard while reading 'Gone with The Wind' I fell in love with the description of fried chicken and once I made it that became my comfort food. Then sometime down the line I fell in love with Shepherd's pie etc etc Basically according to me to really know a particular food you have to respect where it came from that is if its made with lamb substituting it with goat meat unless and until there is absolutely no way you can get your hands on lamb meat changes the dish.

Anyway the point is I have always liked Idlis and Dosas. There are very few dishes that I do not personally like. In fact right now I can't even think of one dish I dislike per say.

When I got married it was mishmash of culture. I am from Calcutta , living in a world of English literature, soaps, movies  , growing up hearing my father playing the violin in preparation of concerts after coming back from the chamber (he is a doctor) cooking from an age of 14 years since the time I told my father that I wanted a taste of world food and he told me he would allow that if I cook it myself while my husband was brought up in Ranchi and is originally from Andhra Pradesh in South India.

Anyway when my mother-in-law had first made this for me I fell in love with it. It was  crispy golden outside and soft fluffy inside.

I noted the recipe from my mother-in-law and I love this. Its easy, soak, grind, ferment and your batter is ready.

So her goes the recipe for Rotte as given by my mother-in-law :-

Cups used hold 250ml liquid

1 cup whole husked Urad Dal
2 cups parboiled rice
Oil for frying
Salt as per taste ( I need 2 tsp)

Soak the pulse and rice separately for 4 hours . Drain the pulse and rice and keep in separate containers but reserve the water in which you have soaked them.

Grind them separately.  First start with the pulse. grind it without any water and then slowly add water to make this creamy smooth soft paste. I usually do not measure the amount of water required but you have to add it slowly to get the fluffy soft consistency and when you touch the mixer grinder it should have become hot. I grind it , stop the mixer and grind ti again and it pretty much takes me 15 minutes to 20 minutes to get the perfect consistency.

Down South I have seen most houses having a wet grinder dedicated for making Idli/dosa batter but for the rest of us its not impossible even with the normal mixer grinder . All you need is patience.

Once the pulse is done keep it in a container. Take half the drained rice and start grinding forst on its own. It will give a gritty mixture then start adding water slowly and steadily. Grind , stop , check the mixture, add water and do this till it reaches a smooth ribbon stage. It should be ultra soft and fluffy to touch.

The entire success of this batter used for Idlis, dosas , Rottes and Uttapams depends on the consistency of your batter and the consistency depends on your grinding.

When the rice is done now grind the Pulse and rice together taking half of each for easy grinding and grind till its fluffy and laves a trail.

It should be ultra soft to touch.

Divide the mixture between two containers filing them till half the container. Add salt about 1 tsp per container , mix with your clean hands and let it ferment for 8 hours.

To know whether your fermentation has gone as expected you shall see it having risen and then there is that smell.

For the Rotte simply take a deep bottomed wok not a flat vessel. Add  a little bit of oil and ladle some of the fermented batter in the wok and cover and cook for 3 minutes to 4  minutes on one side , till you see small bubbles on one side and then   flip and cover and cook for another 3 minutes to 4 minutes  minutes and its ready. Make sure its cooked on absolute low hat else instead of getting crispy golden outside you shall have a burnt outside.

Serve it with some Tomato chutney or 'Podis' (Spicy pulse mixture available in South India) or Onion chutney or any type of chutney of your choice.

I have a sneaky feeling this will team very well with some Mutton stew or chicken stew.


P.S. I have made it with split husked Urad Pulse and it gives the same result.

Please note that I stay in a tropical country where I do not place a problem with fermentation. In case you stay in a cold country keep the mixture in a warm place for fermentation.

You may check out my post on detailed step by step process for the batter here

Important tips :-

1. Always start the grinding with no water and add the water bit by bit else it will never be the soft fluffy mixture that is required for the dish. 
2. Cook on slow flame throughout. You cannot hurry the dish. 
3. You know one side is done when it fluffs up and then you flip it. It might take you less than 3 minutes per side depending on the size of the wok. 

Creme Anglaise

Creme Anglaise 

Creme Anglaise is basically custard made the traditional way. Traditionally prepared custard tastes amazing. Its creamy , full of flavour and delightful. This unlike Creme Patissiere is more liquid in consistency.

It is one of the easiest dishes to prepare. Not only does it taste excellent when chilled and served with fresh fruits. Its the base for innumerable desserts.

So here is a classic version which I have followed from the classic book, Larousse Gastronomique :-

8 egg yolks
250gm caster sugar
500ml whole milk
Zest of 1 lemon / 1 vanilla pod

Bring the milk to a boil and cool it down till it reaches a lukewarm temperature. In the meantime while it is cooling down whisk the egg yolks with the sugar over a double boiler till it reaches the ribbon stage.

Now slowly add the lukewarm milk  and put the bowl back on the double boiler sitting it with a wooden spoon till it coats the spoon. Be sure to immediately take it off the heat once it coats the spoon. Once done add the zest and whisk well. Strain and your delightful Creme Anglaise is ready.

If you are using vanilla flavouring. Add a pod to the milk when boiling it.

Important tips. :-

1. Though this will take practice try and not overcook the custard else it will definitely curdle. 
2. In case you see the first signs of curdling immediately take it off the heat and put it over an ice bath and keep whisking with added milk and strain the Creme Anglaise as a saving grace. 

Basil Parmesan Pesto

Basil Parmesan Pesto 

I cook because I love cooking. I love exploring new dishes. I love spending hours trying to find out about a dish which is unknown to me or even a known one not belonging to my culture.

I remember the first time I had made Basil pesto. Till 2 years ago you would not find pine nuts in Kolkata's market and so when I found it in Bombay I was overjoyed. I bought some pine nuts shelled them and made my basil pesto and I was in love with it. My husband hated the taste of basil but then I hardly cared because I was in love with it and his aunt who had visited us at the time liked it quite well. The freshness of basil with the cheesiness and the flavour of extra virgin olive oil with pine nuts is delicious.

Thanks to Google translator I am able to read blogs written in different languages and that is how I had come to know that Carbonara Sauce in fact does not use bacon but uses Guanciale (Pig cheek) and going by this video over youtube a chef from Italy explains how bacon and Guanciale are very different.

And then a few months back I bought 'La Cucina' by the Italian Academy of Cuisine. It beautifully categorizes dishes as per their region and what I did notice was the frequent use of a cheese called Pecorino Romano. This was last year and I was overjoyed to find it online and I loved its sharp taste and felt relieved about having a source for this widely used cheese in Italian cuisine.


Anyway soon enough I found it to be discontinued due to lack of demand. I felt really bad because so many dishes use the particular cheese. Anyway I was checking my favourite site for Italian dishes, 'Giallozafferano' and their pesto alla Genovese used Pecorino cheese. I checked out a few other sites and found the use of this cheese in all the recipes. This is where I thank Google translator. While its true that the translation can at times be terrible you basically understand the sentences and that is all that matters to me. Anyway I was a bit sad since I had bought a big bunch of Basil leaves and then I decided to ask Manuela about this use of cheese in the particular pesto . She writes from ManusKitchen  and is from Italy. Do check out her site for some fantastic recipes.

Anyway she confirmed my suspicion about Pecorino being an essential ingredient for Pesto alla genovese and told me Parmesan is the closest substitute but would be milder in taste.

Anyway I did still proceed to make a pesto and the result was fantastic in taste.

I adapted  'Giallozafferano''s recipe and am loving this.

I followed the recipe as closely as possible wiping the basil leaves with a wet cloth instead of washing them as mentioned and using my mortar and pestle and so in the end other than the absence of pecorino cheese this Basil Parmesan pesto is something that shall have a recurring presence in my kitchen. Here is hoping I get to source some Pecorino real soon.

Basil Parmesan Pesto

25gm basil fresh leaves
1 large garlic clove (In India the garlic cloves are much more small than its European counterpart and I needed 4 small ones)
50ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10gm Pine Nuts
Salt as needed
50gm Parmesan cheese (In case you get pecorino replace 50gm Parmesan with 40gm Pecorino and 15gm Parmesan)

75 dried gm pasta per serving


Start by pounding the garlic with salt and when it reaches a creamy state add the leaves bit by bit pounding them till they become smooth and then add the pine nuts and  then slowly add the cheese after grating it. Once it reaches a creamy consistency add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil bit by bit and enjoy it over pasta cooked al dente.

Potato Ham Salad with Homemade Mustard Dressing

Potato Ham Salad with Homemade Mustard Dressing 

My idea of a delicious summertime salad is quite endless but since we are almost reaching the end of our week of Celebrating salads here is sharing a favourite of mine which is easy enough to be whipped on days when you are drop dead tired.

The cold potato with cubed ham with a mustard dressing works beautifully for me. Here is hoping it works for you as well.

I like using fresh ingredients and hence I used fresh lean ham from the local cold storage and requested that they slice the ham a bit thick keeping this salad in mind.

Makes 2 servings

2 large potatoes boiled and diced
100gm diced ham
Fresh thyme as per taste

For the dressing :-

I used 1 tsp of my homemade Mustard
2.5 tsp Extra Vigin Olive Oil which you may replace with butter
Salt as per taste

Chill the potato and ham . Right before serving toss the ham and potato with the whisked mustard dressing , a bit of fresh thyme and voila its ready.

You may want to add a bit of honey to your dressing. I personally did not want any other flavour to interfere with the sharp taste of mustard and hence I did not add any other flavouring agent.

Mustard (Condiment)

Mustard (Condiment) 

Making your own mustard is one of the easiest things you can do in the kitchen. I personally come from a place famed for its fish in mustard sauce gravy. In the eastern state of the erstwhile undivided Bengal , currently West Bengal and Bangladesh fish in mustard paste has been a favourite with both the areas of undivided Bengal. I anyway originally belong from the Western side of Bengal hence the partition of India which led to Bengal's heart being torn into two pieces had little effect on my family but perhaps that topic is quite a sad one and so moving on to happier things the moment I had discovered what mustard as a condiment was all about I could not help but laugh. After all we use mustard quite extensively in our cuisine and once I chanced upon the recipe by The Guardian and David Levobitz I have since made my own version and I adore it.

It has that beautiful strong aroma and flavour and is delightful as a dressing for salads or to be mixed with butter for sandwiches. Sometimes I thin it down and spread it directly on my sandwich with some ham and boy does it make me happy.

Once you soak the mustard and grind it the taste would be a bit bitter. I have seen my grandmother and aunts strain the mustard carefully after grinding it to ensure that no bitterness is left behind but for this condiment you cannot strain it but don't worry once you grind it leave it for 5 days to 7 days and the flavour intensifies while the bitterness goes away.

Recipe Source

A combination of The Guardian's recipe along with David Lebovitz's

Makes 300ml to 350ml mustard condiment

100gm yellow mustard seeds
150ml white wine vinegar or a vinegar of your choice
100ml white wine
Salt as per taste
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper (Optional)
Herbs of your choice (optional) I usually do not add herbs
4 tbsp cold water . You might require extra water to thin down the mustard
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Soak the mustard seeds in the vinegar and wine for 48 hours and then grind it with the other ingredients and let it sit tight for 5 days to 7 days and voila your jar of flavour is ready.

The thickness of the condiment should absolutely depend on your liking. So add the water 1 tbsp at a time to get the consistency of your choice. I like to keep mine a bit thick and when I want to I thin it down with a bit of water.

I would not suggest leaving out the turmeric because it imparts that beautiful colour.

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.

Tahini from Scratch

Tahini from Scratch 

I am a complete DIY girl. Unless and until it is absolutely impossible to make something from scratch I would usually take the longer route not just because it gives the emotive pleasures of doing it yourself but when it comes to food as per my experience if you use ingredients of good quality the dish comes out way better than the bottled version which would definitely have added artificial preservatives to make it last long.

Some condiments are a staple at my home and the famous Middle Eastern 'Tahini' is one such condiment. Basically the day I found out what Tahini actually is I was both happy because the ingredient used is found in abundance in Kolkata but it brings back fond memories of my grandmother making my favourite sweets out of it. Yes Tahini is basically toasted sesame butter and you make the middle eastern sauce by a simple addition of garlic, cool water , lemon juice and salt and if you serve it as a dip simply chop some parsley leaves on top.

In Bengal most grandmothers make or at least mine would make little sweetmeat balls. The most popular sweetmeat ball is the coconut ball 'Narkel naru' which I cannot stand unless it is made with Plam date jaggery but when it came to 'Tiler Naru' Sesame sweetmeat balls I could finish a dozen in less than 15 minutes. My grandmother would make them bite sized and I adored them.

Later on I myself started using sesame seeds for a number of dishes. For instance I love using it for some of my Chinese recipes. A quick search over the internet gave me the information that these seeds are the oldest seeds used by most traditional cultures. Hence you find it in Chinese cooking, Indian cooking and then of course there are the Middle Eastern delicacies where it is used in abundance.

I had come across this recipe a long time back (2009) and had not taken down the source from where I had noted down the recipe. While writing the recipe I had mistakenly thought that it must have been Mama'sLebanese Kitchen, a Lebanese food blog which I follow but as it turns out her blog does not contain the recipe.

Anyway so the source of this recipe is the internet which is a library of information

This is Tahini in its pure form :-

100gm white sesame seeds
2 tbsp raw sesame oil (Optional) or peanut Oil


Toast the sesame seeds ensuring that you do not burn them. This step is crucial because raw sesame seeds when made into a paste leaves a mildly bitter taste.

Blend it with the oil to make a smooth butter like consistency.

For the sauce :-

The sesame paste from 100gm sesame seeds
150ml cool water
Garlic cloves (In India the garlic cloves are very small and I needed 8 of them. If you are using the large ones 4 are enough)
2 tbsp lemon Juice
Salt as per taste

Blend everything together and voila you have a beautiful nutty creamy condiment. It can used to marinate chicken which you might want to grill or over salads or even as a dip. When using it as a dip finely mince parsley leaves and top the condiment. This is an essential ingredient for the Middle Eastern dish called Hummus.

I store it in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.