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.

Low Calorie Red Kidney Bean dip

Low Calorie Red Kidney Bean dip 

There are times when you thank the Creator for giving you so many culinary options. You want to not fry have low calorie healthy food well its all out there all you need to do is try a little bit.

I often read articles on healthy dip. You see I love snacking especially when reading a book or watching a movie and these two hobbies take up all my free time so when I went on a low calorie healthy diet it was difficult to snack. There is always that apple you can munch on or the almonds but I am sure many of you would relate to that want to dip something in a delicious dip for complete satisfaction.

I remembered having seen Red Kidney Bean dip as a healthy dip. I checked again and that is where it posed a problem. I live in Calcutta in India and Avocado is not one of the local fruits you get here and my principle is to go as local as possible - saves money and its readily available. So I created a very basic recipe and well I would say I am all happy because I did not really create a scientific machine. I just used the usual basic ingredients but in a very healthy way.

Before I give the recipe I have to say that 1 serving of kidney beans equals to half a cup of cooked beans and that has 86 calories even when cooked with salt. I added tomatoes and onions and so that makes it a low calorie dip.

So here you go with the recipe :-

1 small cup (which holds 200ml liquid) of dry red kidney beans soaked overnight
3 cups of water
Salt as per taste
2 to 3 medium sized tomatoes
3 medium sized onions
4 cloves of garlic (the big cloves ) else use  use 6 to 7 cloves
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or as hot as you want it to be
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Simply soak the kidney beans overnight. Now cook them in a pressure cooker to save fuel  and quickening the process . Put the pressure cooker on low heat and let the whistle build up very slowly. This makes sure you cook it well without wasting fuel . Now peel chop drizzle olive oil and bake the tomatoes, onion and garlic at 220 C preheated oven for 60 minutes.

Once the bans are well cooked spread them out to cool them and then once you have baked the vegetables simply cool everything add them to the blender with the kidney beans, oregano, salt , cayenne pepper and blend away . Add 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil and the squeeze of lemon juice and enjoy 1/2 cup of this deliciousness without feeling guilty. 1/2 cup = 1 serving = approximately 116 calorie. Serve it with baked tortillas or baked papads (dried lentil discs) or if you have stale chapati dry roast it till its crisp and it makes for a healthy snack.

P.S. I have to mention a very special lady who runs this beautiful blog which gives you plenty of ideas on healthy food. Do check her blog Simply Vegetarian

Hot Sauce

Hot Sauce 

The truth is I do not like store bought bottled sauces. I mean sure there are some sauces which you cannot make at home mainly due to unavailability of ingredients but the whole idea of using bottled sauces is not a great source of comfort for me. The truth is the best food you can cook is with ingredients which are easily available around you. To be fair I have never ever been a huge fan of Tabasco Red Pepper sauce mostly due to the excessive amount of vinegar. I do not know if its authentic or not but that amount of sourness just does not suit my taste buds but then again isn't India the land of hot spicy food and do we not have a wide variety of chilies. So making hot sauce at home is a better of 1 hour.

The best part of making a recipe at home other than the extreme emotional satisfaction is knowing what goes in and customizing it as per one's taste. Mine is thick , hot as per my taste buds and not too salty

Yields 250gm thick sauce :-

What you need :-

Approximately 500gm fresh big red pepper  (The ones you use for mircha pakodis)
1 large red bell pepper
5 to 6 Rajasthani dried red chili for the punch
Salt as per taste
5 tbsp vinegar
12 tbsp water
4 tbsp olive oil
Cloves of 1 pod of garlic
Transparent plastic gloves for hygiene and protection

Start by de-seeding the fresh chili peppers and bell pepper. Now skin the garlic and press them with the flat of the knife. Heat  the oil and then add the garlic and from then on use low heat throughout the cooking  , when it is softened add the sliced bell pepper and chilies and then use high heat for a minute or two and add salt and vinegar and then simply simmer on low heat for the next 10 minutes to 15 minutes till the peppers are all softened well and add the water and bring to a boil and then simmer on low heat covered till all the water evaporates.

The texture before being sieved 

Let it cool down to room temperature and then simply blend away, taste it and if required add more salt . Once blend wear gloves and use strainer to strain this hot sauce.

After being sieved 

Spoon into sterilized jars and let it age for 2 weeks. You have thick hot sauce ready for you, well ready in another 2 weeks. Once you open it refrigerate immediately and it lasts for 6 months but then again I suggest using it as fast as possible

Salsa Roja

Roja means red and this salsa is red, hot and will blow your mind. You see a quick search will yield 17 variants of salsa. The easiest cooked Salsa is this delicious Tomato based one from Mexico and Southwestern USA. It literally translates to "Red sauce" and the simple salsa is an excellent dip be it with nachos, crisps or simple raw vegetables as a delicious snack.

The ingredients are very simple . All you need is :-

To be fair this recipe might have served more than 4 people but whenever I make it vanishes in no time and well that's the beauty of this simple yet delicious recipe

800gm to 1 kg of plump red tomatoes
2 onions
3 to 4 ripened red chilies / dried red chili
1.5 to 2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cumin powder
Salt as per taste
2.5 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

Blanch the tomatoes and then skin them and chop. Saute the garlic in olive oil and when the beautiful aroma spreads throughout your kitchen add the onions and fry till translucent which means its soft and cooked but not golden and definitely not browned. Add the chilies and saute for a minute before adding the tomatoes. Masher with a masher and and salt and cumin powder. Cook till it reaches you desired consistency and add 1 tbsp of the coriander leaves. Once done coarsely blend it and garnish with the rest of the coriander leaves. This sauce is supposed to be chunky and deliciously spicy and red hot. Enjoy this lovely salsa 

Typical Bengali Tomato chutney

So the beauty of online groups are that it

a) Encourages you to explore more and more in the kitchen
b) Interaction motivates you to document your own recipes some of which are actual heritage ones

So here goes a recipe for a delicious tomato chutney that we Bengalis simply love, we usually take them with fried papads. It is usually taken after the meal before desserts

You need

5 plump juicy tomatoes chopped in little pieces
3 broken dried red chilies
Half a tsp kalonji
Pinch of saunf
1 bay leaf
Salt as per taste
Chopped Aaam paapd (2 tbsp)
2 tbsp chopped dates
2 tbsp raisins
1 heaped tsp dried mango
1 tbsp ghee
1 heaped tsp green chili ginger paste (I used about 2 medium sized green chilies)
Water
Sugar as per taste (Traditional Bengali version makes it a bit sweet)
Pinch of turmeric

Start by heating the ghee and adding your dry spices (kalonji, saunf and broken red chili) . When they splutter add the ginger paste and bay leaf and the chopped tomatoes and then bring to boil while mashing with a masher and simmer but keep mashing. Remember that tomato has a lot of water and will cook in its own juices. Now add the salt, sugar , dried mango powder and a pinch of turmeric. Cook till it is well mashed and is sticky, sprinkle water it is feels too sticky. Add the  raisin, dates and aam papad. Serve with fried papads and a wedge of lemon. Since the authentic version is quite sweet I like squeezing lemon juice for a tangy fresh feel.

Tangy tasty Ketchup

So tomatoes have come down to Rs30 a kilogram for the plumpest reddest and sweetest tomatoes which means it is ketchup time. Now I cannot imagine reaching for those bottled ketchup off the shelves. All that preservative makes me run miles away.

This easy peasy recipe can change anyone's mind to take less than half a day out of their busy schedule to indulge in customized ketchup. To be fair for this one's flavours I suggest you not follow any recipe but make it as per your taste buds. If you do not like celery there always is basil if not that then there is thyme and if herbs are not your cup of tea there is no need to worry you can always use Indian spices for all you lovely people. What is important is the use of vinegar and salt which is the preservative for your ketchup. As per Jamie Oliver, if you seal this deal you have amazing tangy sweet and spicy delight  which lasts a good 6 months. I did not even follow his recipe except the basics. Mine was tangy , hot , spicy , caramelized and well if I may say so I licked off every last bit left in the pot. Now ketchup is supposed to be thick not the runny stuff one usually gets in an Indian market so here goes the recipe for thick delicious tangy hot  ketchup

So what you need is:

1kilogram of plump red tomatoes
200ml red wine vinegar or any vinegar of your choice
Salt as per taste
Sugar as per taste , I used a handful which was enough for me
4 tablespoonful of olive oil
9 to 10 crushed garlic cloves (The size of the garlic is half of what is usually considered fat )
2 medium sized onions
Two fat pinches each of dried oregano and dried thyme and dried basil
8 dried red chilies (increase and decrease as per level of hotness you can handle)
1 tsp homemade mustard

Start by heating oil and sauteing crushed garlic, (just press it with the flat side of your knife) and onions, soften the onions and remember everything must be on low heat. Add the dried red chilies broken in half. Now add chopped tomatoes. I did blanch the tomatoes first for half of the usual time for blanching but did not skin them. This speeds up the process. Bring to a slow boil and add the vinegar and salt. Add the herbs and mustard and sugar and if you want the ketchup a little less thick 300ml water. Simmer till the quantity is reduced to half its amount, cool , blend away so that its all smooth without one bit of solid bit and transfer in a sterilized bottle. Refrigerate and enjoy :)

PS I always try and make the most usage of things and so always store those bottles once the olives or jalapenos etc are finished off and sue the jars to jar my ketchup and condiments wink wink

Creamy chili garlic dip

I am not a fan of mayonnaise and here is why, though they are utterly creamy, wonderful in taste open any article on health from anywhere in the world, and what do you see? All asking you to avoid it like the plague. So be I am been psychologically brainwashed by numerous articles and so on an everyday basis I would never use mayonnaise and instead like healthier option. This particular condiment was born when Lebanon and a known sauce to me from the picturesque mountainous North Bengal made a commitment. I call it the creamy chili garlic sauce. Its thick, spicy with a kick and is very delicious with fries or even for vegetables.

You need

1 pod / head of garlic
4 to 6 dried red chilies (Now please adjust as per the hotness you can handle)
Peppercorn say about 15 of them (Again adjust as per taste)
Salt as per taste
250gm of hung curd
Olive oil say about 1/4th cup. Keep half a cup ready
Enough red wine vinegar to simply soak the garlic and chilies in
1 tsp to 2 tsp granular sugar

Start by soaking the individual skinned cloves of garlic, chilies broken in halves , sugar  and peppercorn in red wine vinegar. This step is very important to cut down on the heat of the chilies. Leave aside for 4 hours to 5 hours. Now simply blend away with salt and hung curd (which again cuts down on the heat) . slow add a stream of oil. If you like it extra creamy add half a cup of oil and if not 1/4th is just fine. I personally prefer 1/4th cup oil. There you go with the dip which is not too unhealthy. After the first time it becomes easier to adjust the ingredients as per taste buds :)

Sonth ki chutney

I did not grow up knowing what sonth is let alone sonth ki chutney. Well during the teenage years there was a sudden freedom of indulging in street food. My parents had this awful rule of keeping street food away from me like the plague and so with my new found freedom I started exploring golgappa stalls and chatwallas etc etc . It was a whole new world. I was thrilled.

For a while I had even started discarding some of our wonderful Bengali snacks due to the then new love. One of the worst banished snacks was the samosas and only because Bengali shops did not provide that dark rust coloured chutney. For years I have tried replicating it at home but without proper guidance I was falling miserably in the dark, every time there was somethign which was missing. Then came my college years and paying a visit to Annaras for their delicious chaats was a regular affair. For the first time I was introduced to samosa chat, dhokla chats which meant crumbled snacks with homemade garlic chutney and sonth ku chutney on top along with some hara chutney and the friendly gentleman soon became our friend and one day I asked him about the tangy rust coloured chutney. Good fellow that he is , he gave me the recipe for the chutney :) Its a basic thing. You need sonth which is dried ginger. Of course by that time I had cooked a number of Kashmiri gohst recipes all of which called for sonth and I had a fair idea that sonth meant dried ginger.

Ever since that day of enlightenment  sonth ki chutney has found a place in my cupboards or refrigerators depending on the weather . Easy to make this one is a magical condiemnt

What goes in

1 ping pong sized balls of Tamarind pulp soaked in 250 ml of warm water for 1 hour
2 ping pong sized balls of Gur/ Jaggery which when pounded makes for 6 tsp gur
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp of crushed saunf
1/2 of cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard oil for frying
2 tsp Cumin powder
2 tsp Coriander powder
Pinch of garam masala
Pinch of ajwain
Rock salt as per taste
4 to 5 Dried Red chilies broken in half
2 heaped tsp Sonth
1 tsp chili powder

Soak the tamarind in warm water for an hour and then heat oil and add the hing and then the cumin seeds and when it splutters add the tamarind water before the spices get burnt and do it carefully because a lot of steam is generated. Slowly one adds the rest of the powdered spices and the crumbled gur . I suggest adding the gur bit by bit bringing things to boil and simmering it so that it all mixes well and adding more if required as per tatse. Well my in-laws from down South like it extra tangy while people up North prefer it sweet and sour and tangy and spicy so adjust as per taste. Clarifying my above sentence, that is the general taste , there are peopel everywhere with taste buds of connoisseurs who like a wide range of  tastes :) Add rock salt . Simmer till desired consistency is reached. It should be of a single thread syrup. ENJOY IT ANYTIME WITH ANY Indian snacks be it the samosas, kachoris, dahi bhalla,  , pakodias etc etc

Green chutney

Spicy green chutney / Hara Bhara Chutney 

This is the most common fresh chutneys one comes across in the Indian subcontinent. Requires no cooking, is fresh, spicy , hot , tangy and delicious. It goes well with most Indian snacks be it the samosas, kachoris, pakodis, dahi vada or with potato chips or well you do the experiments  now.

One needs :

1 bunch of mint leaves
1 bunch of corainder leaves
1 inch of ginger
5 to 6 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
half the juice of a lemon
Rock salt as per taste
A few black pepper corns
Half a tsp of coriander powder
Half a tsp of cumin powder
4 green chilies
1 tsp mango powder for the extra jazziness
Water

Pluck the leaves out from the mint stalks and soak them in a bowl of water to get rid of all the dirt and wash your coriander well. Put everything in a blender and blend away adding the water bit by bit and checking for the consistency which appeals to you. I like it thick and smooth and so I added about 4 tablespoonful of water and perhaps a bit more sprinkling of it :)

P.S. The garlic and ginger simply makes this a more delicious affair :) Had previously tried it without those two gems and the difference stares you in the taste buds. If you have little ones do adjust the green chilies. 

Toum - Dip dip dip

I must admit that ever since I read an article about Iranian food I have been mesmerized by their cuisine and why wouldn't I be. Kebabs and delightful pilafs and an array of tempting dishes on display on the internet has made me fall in love with their food. It has a lot of connection with our very own Indian food but that is not what I am writing about today. Today its time for the famous dip, Toum

The ingredients are probably available across the globe and the result is truly wonderful.  You see when you are dieting and are swamped with work  it is essential to have as many homemade dips as possible so that you don't reach for a packet of junk food and instead enjoy a carrot or one of her other vegetable cousins with these delicious dips.

Easy peasy ingredients

1 head of garlic
1 cup of oil (From what I have read oil which have a lot of flavour such as Olive Oil and Sesame oil should be avoided so the very own refined oil works )
Juice of 1  lemon
Salt as per taste


You start off by whizzing the garlic and then slowly add the oil and finally the lemon. It takes a bit of time for the consistency to be a creamy, fluffy delight but when done you would fall in love with it if you love lemon and garlic.