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Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Mutton Qorma



Ingredients

Mutton: 1 kg (Lamb or beef can also be used. Cooking time will be increased as lamb and beef take longer to cook)
Onion: 3 medium sized, thinly sliced
Yogurt: 1 cup
Ginger/garlic paste: 1 tbsp each
Almonds: 8-10, boil and peel off the skin.
Red chilli: to taste
Salt: To taste
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Cumin: 1 tsp
Cloves: 2-3
Green cardamom: 2-3
Black cardamom: 1
Cinnamon stick: 1 medium
Cloves: 2, 3
Nutmeg+Mace: 3 pinches, about 1/4 leveled tsp, powdered
Garam Masala powder: 1 tsp 
Oil: 1/2 -3/4 cup 

Note: The authentic recipe of Qorma does NOT have tomatoes. I'd advise not to add any unless you are a rebel or just love tomatoes too much. :)

For garnish:
Ginger: 2 inch piece, cut into julienne
Green chillies: 2 tbsp sliced
Coriander: For garnish
Lemon: 2-3 slices

Instructions

1. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a pan or a work and fry the sliced onion until golden brown. Take it out and spread over a tissue paper laid on a plate. Within 10-15 minutes, the onion will become crisp. Crush it by hands or in a spice mill and mix it with the yogurt. Leave aside.

                                     



2. Meanwhile, in the same oil, sauté cumin, green and black cardamom, cinnamon stick and cloves. Saute for a bit and when they start spluttering, add the meat. Sauté on high heat until the meat changes color. 

3. Add the ginger and garlic paste to the meat and continue sautéing. 

4. Now sprinkle a little water to the meat mixture and add red chilli powder and turmeric. Do not add salt at this stage. Continue sautéing. Sprinkle more water, if necessary. Lower the heat to medium level.

Tip: Always add salt to the meat (mutton, lamb and beef) dishes close to the end-of-cooking as meat tenderizes faster without salt.
 

5. After cooking for about 7-8 minutes, oil will separate out from the meat mixture. At this stage, add the yogurt+fried onion mixture to the meat. Continue cooking for 5 minutes and then put the lid on the pan/wok and lower the heat. Cook, covered, for about half an hour. Keep on checking the qorma mixture and if it is drying out or if it looks like the meat needs more time to cook, add a little boiled water and adjust accordingly. 

Tip: Avoid adding cold water to meat during cooking as it toughens the meat up. 

6. The below picture was taken halfway (about 15 minutes after adding the yogurt and cooking covered) through the process. It shows plenty of water but after 15 more minutes, the water dried out and oil came out on top. The meat was also tender and a rich, medium thick sauce was ready. You can adjust the consistency of the sauce to your liking. 

                                     

6.  Once the qorma is ready, add the nutmeg+mace powder, salt, almonds and the garam masala. Cook on low heat for another 5 minutes.  

Tip: Be very careful when adding nutmeg+mace as too much of it will make the qorma bitter. 

7. Add the julienne ginger, green chillies and coriander. Lemon is optional. Serve hot with pilaf rice or naan. 

Happy eating! :) 



Saturday, April 25, 2015

Mini Pizza - Quick N Easy



This is a quick and easy recipe for making pizza. You can use leftovers (grilled chicken, vegetables, ground beef, etc) or fresh ingredients and create various pizza toppings. I have made this recipe with two different kinds of toppings. Feel free to be creative and make your own pizzas using the basic concept. Enjoy. :)

This recipe is for four mini pizzas.

Ingredients
  1. Pita bread: 4 in no. (6 inches diameter)
  2. Pizza sauce: 3/4 cup or 8 tbsp (Recipe here. It yields about 2-2.5 cups of sauce. Add salt to taste as the recipe does not indicate any. You may switch red wine with 2-3 tbsp red wine vinegar in the recipe. Dilute the vinegar by mixing it with 175 ml water. The leftover sauce can be frozen or used in pasta recipes). Alternatively, use a good brand, store-bought pizza sauce)
  3. Oregano: 1/2 tsp
  4. Basil: 1/2 tsp
  5. Butter: 1 tbsp
  6. Parmesan cheese: 100 gms
  7. Mozzarella cheese: 2 cups, shredded
  8. Any other cheese you prefer using in pizza. I used Gouda and Cheddar. 

Topping 1

  1. Tomatoes: 2 (medium sized, sliced)
  2. Onion: 1/2 cup (sliced)
  3. Chicken tikka/grilled chicken/chicken chunks: 1 cup, cooked
  4. Green chilli: Sliced, to taste
  5. Chilli flakes: 1/2 tsp or to taste
    Topping 2
    1. Sausages: 1 cup (sliced and lightly sautéed)
    2. Mushrooms: 1 cup (sliced and sautéed)
    3. Sweet corn: 2 tbsp
    4. Green olives: 2 tbsp
    The quantity of the ingredients mentioned above will make two pizzas per topping. 

                                         

    Instructions

    a) Basic pizza base

    1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degree C.
    2. Put a little butter one each side of the pita bread and toast it until golden on both sides. Repeat for the remaining pitas. Now put about 2 tbsp of the pizza sauce onto each pita and spread evenly to coat the whole bread until the edges.
                   
    b) Pizza toppings
    1. Topping 1: Put generous quantity of chicken, onion, tomatoes and green chilli on the pita. Add a layer of cheese (mozzarella, parmesan and any other you prefer). Sprinkle some chilli flakes, basil and oregano on top. Repeat for the another pita.
    2. Topping 2: Put generous quantity of sausages, mushrooms, olives and corn on the pita. Add a layer of cheese (mozzarella, parmesan and any other you prefer) and sprinkle a pinch of basil and oregano on top. Repeat for the another pita.
                           
                                                                             Topping 1
                                       
    Topping 2
    c) Baking
    Line a baking tray with greased parchment paper or aluminium foil. Place the pitas on the tray and bake in hot oven for 5-6 minutes or until cheese is melted. You may also switch on the oven grill for 1-2 minutes to get a nice golden brown color of the cheese top.
    Happy eating! :) 




    Saturday, April 18, 2015

    Curry Pakora




    This recipe gives 3-4 servings.

    1. Curry

    Ingredients

    1. Gram flour: 4-5 tbsp. 
    2. Onion: 3-4 tbsp (very finely chopped, preferably make a paste) 
    3. Tomato puree: 1 tbsp 
    4. Ginger & garlic paste: 1 tablespoon each
    5. Cumin: 1 tsp
    6. Cloves: 2-3
    7. Black cardamom: 2 pieces
    8. Cinnamon stick: 1
    9. Red Chilli: To taste
    10. Salt: To taste
    11. Turmeric powder: 1/4 teaspoon 
    12. Yogurt: 500 gms (do not use sweetened yogurt. Use fresh or greek yogurt that should be a few days old hence with a sour taste)
    13. Water: 750 mL
    14. Garam masala (powdered): 1 tbsp
    15. Dried fenugreek (qasuri methi): 1 tbsp, optional
    16. Oil: 1/2 cup
    17. Boiled water: Optional
    For tempering (tarka): 1/2 cup ghee, 3-4 whole red chillies, 1/2 tsp cumin, 7-8 curry leaves 

    Optional: Green chillies and fresh coriander.

    Instructions

    1. Dry roast gram flour in a pan until it just changes color and gives a rich fragrance. Keep aside until cool. Now mix the yogurt and water to a smooth consistency. Once the flour has cooled down, add it to the yogurt+water mixture. Blend or mix well until smooth and you do  not see any grains of the gram flour in it.

    Caution: Do not over-cook or burn  the gram flour while dry-roasting. 
    Tip: The gram flour is dry-roasted before adding to the yogurt+water mixture to reduce the cooking time later on.
    You can also use 1 Litre "lassi" instead of diluted yogurt. 

    2. Heat oil in a deep pan. Add onion and sauté until it is golden brown in color. 
    3. Add the whole spices like cumin, black cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cloves to the pan and sauté for a minute or so. Add ginger and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
    4. Now add red chilli, salt and turmeric to the mixture. Stir for 2, 3 minutes. Add a little water to the mixture to avoid getting the mixture burnt.
    5. Add tomato puree to the mixture. Cook it like a traditional "masala" until oil comes on top. The mixture should be a smooth paste.

    Tip: The quantity of the mixture should only be a few tbsp. This is not a regular curry so large quantity of masala is not needed. Some people do not add any onion or tomato to the curry masala and only make it with ginger/garlic and the herbs and spices.

    6. Once the "masala" is cooked, slowly add the yogurt+water+gram flour mixture to it while stirring continuously.
    7. Keep on stirring this mixture and bring it to a boil. By this time the masala+yugurt mixture should be unified well.
    8. Lower the heat now and cook (covered) for about an hour. Keep on checking the mixture from time to time and make sure it does not thicken too much. Add boiled water to make it thin, if required.

    Picture: This is how it looks like during cooking. Oil will come on top.

    9. Now here comes the part where you have to judge the curry yourself. After an hour, test taste the curry to see if it is cooked. I cant tell you exact cooking time since everyone roasts to a different level and many other factors like the heat temperature or consistency of the mixture can vary. It should not take more than 2 hours in any case since the gram flour is already roasted.
    10. Once the curry seems cooked, bring it to a nice Nihari/soup-like consistency. Add boiled water if it needs to be thinner, cook on high flame if it needs to be thicker.
    11. Add green chillies, coriander, garam masala, and dried fenugreek (optional) and stir a bit.
    12. Once done, prepare the pakoras (spicy gram flour fried patties) and the "tarka" (tempering).

    13. For tempering: Heat ghee in a small pan. Add cumin, whole red chillies and curry leaves to the pan. Sauté for a minute. Keep it aside. Its better to do this step after making the pakoras.


    2. Pakora

    I prefer lots of flavors in pakoras. You can use your traditional home recipe for pakoras or just make plain gram flour balls like most people do. I use the following recipe.

    Ingredients

    1. Gram flour: 1.5 cups 
    2. Onion: 1 medium, thinly sliced
    3. Potatoes: 1 medium, thinly sliced (optional)
    4. Spinach: 1 cup, chopped (optional)
    5. Cumin: 1/2 tsp
    6. Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp
    7. Chaat masala: 1/2 tsp
    8. Red chilli powder: To taste ( or1/2 tsp)
    9. Salt: to taste
    10. Green chillies: Sliced, 1 tbsp
    11. Coriander seeds, whole: 1/2 tsp
    12. Fresh coriander: 1/2 cup, chopped
    13. Yogurt: 1 tbsp (it makes the pakoras soft from the inside)
    14. Baking soda: Just a pinch
    15. Mango powder (optional): 1/2 tsp
    16. Water, as required.
    Instructions

    1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
    2. Heat oil in a wok and bring it a medium hot temperature. Drop a little gram flour mixture into the oil and if it immediately comes to the surface, your oil is hot enough and you are good to go.
    3. With the help of your hands or a serving spoon, scoop up the mixture and add it to the oil. If the oil is nice hot, the pakora will come to the surface. Once the bottom side is nicely golden, turn over. Lower the heat a little otherwise the pakora will turn brown from the surface but will remain raw from inside. Once the pakora is cooked, take it out and taste it. Adjust your spices, if necessary.
    4. Bring the oil to medium-hot temperature again. Add more spoon-fulls of pakoras. You should be able to make atleast 7-8 pakoras with the quantity of the ingredients in this recipe.

    Note: You can now add the pakoras to the curry mixture, cook it for a few minutes and add the tarka on top. I prefer the following serving method since this way pakoras remain crispy rather than soggy.

    To serve: 
    Put pakoras in a dish. Pour the curry over it. Add the tarka on top. Serve with naan bread or boiled rice.

    Happy eating. :)


    Thursday, April 16, 2015

    Pakistani style omelette



    The following recipe serves one person.

    Ingredients:




    1. Eggs: 2 medium sized 
    2. Tomatoes: 1, medium sized, chopped
    3. Onion: 1 small, fine chopped
    4. Milk: 2-3 tbsp
    5. Green chilli: 1 tbsp, sliced
    6. Black pepper: a pinch
    7. Salt (to taste)
    8. Red chilli flakes (a pinch)
    9. Fresh coriander: 1 tbsp, chopped
    10. Olive oil: 2 tbsp
    11. Cheese (optional): Shredded (2-3 tbsp). I used Gouda (dutch cheese). You may use cheddar if you like.

    Instructions:

    Whisk the eggs and the milk in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add a pinch of black pepper, red chilli flakes, salt and whisk a little more.

    Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan (preferably non-stick). Sauté onion until it just changes color.



    Add the tomatoes, coriander and green chilli to the pan. Sauté until the tomatoes are slightly tender. Do not over cook. Add some salt and black pepper. Keep in mind that the egg mixture also has salt and pepper.


    Now, add the egg mixture to the pan and tilt it in all directions to let the mixture cover the whole base. Lower the heat and allow the egg to set. Cover the pan with a lid (if you dont have a lid, use a plate).



    Once the egg mixture is set and the color has changed, carefully change its side with the help of a flat plate. Put the plate on top of the pan and carefully flip to slide the omelette onto the plate. Slide back the omelette into the pan with the just-set side at the bottom and the cooked-side on top.


    Picture: Before flipping: Egg just-set from the top side and fully-cooked from the bottom side

    Picture: After flipping the omelette to put just-set side at the bottom and fully-cooked on the top

    Once the omelette is cooked, take it out on a plate. Serve with some nicely toasted bread. 



    Alternatively ----- > The above method of making the omelette is a slightly fancy way of doing it. Since some of my friends may not like to put so much effort into it, i'd suggest an easier way.

    After sautéing the vegetables, simply add the egg mixture to the pan and cook like scrambled eggs. 

    Happy eating :)

     

    Monday, April 6, 2015

    Mushroom and Spinach Omelette




    The following recipe serves one person.

    Ingredients:
    1. Eggs: 2 large sized or 3 medium sized
    2. Mushrooms: Any type you like, 1 cup, sliced
    3. Spinach: 1 cup, chopped
    4. Onion: 1 small, fine chopped
    5. Milk: 3 tbsp
    6. Black pepper: 1/4 tsp (levelled)
    7. Salt (to taste)
    8. Red chilli flakes (just a pinch)
    9. Olive oil: 2 tbsp
    Note: I have used mushrooms and spinach in this recipe. You may use other vegetables like bell pepper (green, red, yellow), thinly slices potatoes, green onion, green chilli pepper, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage etc.

    Instructions:

    Whisk the eggs and the milk in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add a pinch of black pepper, red chilli flakes and salt and whisk a little more.

    Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan (preferably non-stick). Sauté onion until it just changes color.



    Add the mushrooms and spinach to the pan.


    Sauté until the mushrooms are tender and the spinach is wilted. If using other vegetables, sauté them in a similar way. Add some salt and black pepper. Keep in mind that the egg mixture also has salt and pepper. Take the mixture out on a plate and set aside. 
      
    Now, in the same pan, heat up 1 tbsp oil (medium heat). Add the egg mixture to the pan and tilt it in all directions to let the mixture cover the whole base. Lower the heat and allow the egg to set. Cover the pan with a lid (if you dont have a lid, use a plate).



    Once the egg mixture is set and the color has changed to golden brown, carefully change its side with the help of a large, flat spoon. Make it golden brown.



    Put the mushroom+spinach mixture on half the egg base.


    Turn over the remaining half of the egg base as shown in the figure. Take it out on a plate.


    Serve with some nicely toasted bread. 



    Alternatively ----- > The above method of making the omelette is a slightly fancy way of doing it. Since some of my friends may not like to put so much effort into it, i'd suggest an easier way.

    After sautéing the vegetables, simply add the egg mixture in the same pan. Allow it to set a little and then change the side. Or make the eggs like scrambled ones. 

    Happy eating :)

    P.S. The pictures didn't come out so good as there was no proper light. But the taste was great, I promise. ;) 

    Sunday, April 5, 2015

    Spinach & Ricotta Tortellini with Cherry Tomato Sauce



    Have you ever made pasta at  home? Try it. Its not so difficult as it sounds and the taste of fresh homemade pasta is awesome. Follow the recipe below. You can change the filling or the sauce to your liking.

    Ingredients


    For the Tortellini pasta:

    a) Pasta
    1. Plain flour : 300 gm
    2. Salt: 1 tsp
    3. Eggs: 3
    4. Olive oil: 1 tbsp

    b) Filling

    1. Spinach: 1 cup, chopped and boiled
    2. Ricotta cheese: 1/2 cup
    3. Green onion: 1/2 cup, chopped (both white and green part)
    4. Garlic: 1/2 tsp, crushed
    5. Black pepper: 1/2 tsp or to taste
    6. Cayenne pepper: 1/4 tsp
    7. Dried basil: 1/4 tsp
    8. Thyme: 1/4 tsp
    9. Oregano: 1/4 tsp
    10. Salt: To taste


    For the Cherry Tomato Sauce:
    1. Cherry tomatoes: 7-8, halved
    2. Green onion: 1/2 cup, chopped, white part only
    3. Tomato paste: 1/2 cup
    4. Garlic: 1 tbsp
    5. Dried basil: 1 tsp 
    6. Red chilli flakes: 1/4 tsp or to taste
    7. Salt: to taste 
    8. Olive oil
    9. Parmesan cheese: 1 tbsp, for garnish

    Instructions:

    Tortellini pasta dough
    1. Combine and sift the dry ingredients (flour and salt) together in a bowl. Beat the eggs and olive oil separately and add to the flour mixture. 
    2. If you have a food processor, put this mixture into the dough attachment and process until the mixture forms a ball. Else mix everything by hand. 
    3. Once the dough looks worked through, remove it from the processor and knead briefly on a lightly floured surface until smooth and compact. Cover the dough with cling film and rest at room temperature. 
    Filling: 

        1. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and sauté onion and garlic until golden.
        2. Add the boiled spinach with all the herbs and spices and sauté  for 5 minutes. Take the mixture           away from heat and cool. Put aside 1 tbsp of this mixture for garnish and use the remaining for           pasta filling.
        3. Once the mixture has cooled down, add ricotta cheese into it and mix well. 
        4. The mixture is now ready to be filled in the tortellini.


    How to shape the tortellini and fill in with the spinach+ricotta mixture:



    Pictures from web
    1. Take a small ball of the dough and roll it into a 2 inch diameter disk, 1/16 inch thick. Alternatively, take a ball of dough and roll it into a flat sheet, 1/16 inch thick. Now using a round cookie cutter or glass, cut out a 2 inch diameter round disk.
    2. See the figure above. Put a small amount of filling in the center of the disk and brush the edges with flour slurry (mix a little flour in water to make a sticky paste) or a lightly beaten egg.  Fold the disk in half to make a semi circle. Press the edges with your fingers to seal them together.  Lastly, pick up the semi-circular disk and hold the two ends of the flat edge, carefully turning them straight upwards toward each other until they meet.  Press the two ends together to make the tortellini.
    3. To cook, bring a large pot of salted boiling water to a boil and drop in the tortellini.  When the tortellini float to the surface, they are done.

      Cherry Tomato Sauce:
      1. Heat up a little olive oil in a pan. Add onion and garlic and sauté  until golden. 
      2. Add the tomato paste with a pinch of salt, chilli flakes and dried basil. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add a little water, if necessary.
      3. Now add the cherry tomatoes and toss the mixture around until everything is mixed well. Let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes. 
      4. Add the boiled tortellini to the mixture and mix until it is well coated by the sauce. 
      Serve the pasta by garnishing it with the left-over spinach+ricotta mixture and parmesan cheese as shown in the picture in this post.


      Happy eating! :)

      Saturday, April 4, 2015

      Thai Red Fish Curry with Jasmine Rice



      Ingredients


      Thai Red Fish Curry:
      1. Any firm white fish, cut into cubes: 500 gms (I used Cod)
      2. Thai red curry paste: 2-3 tbsp, store bought or you can make it at home using this recipe.
        (Note: Use 2 tbsp of paste for a mild taste or 3 tbsp for a spicier version. You can also add some red chilli flakes if you want to make it extra hot)
      3. Coconut milk: 1 can (400 gm)
      4. Fish sauce: 1 tbsp
      5. Red chilli pepper: 1, sliced
      6. Brown sugar: 1 tsp
      7. Salt: to taste
      8. Fresh basil (if available, else use 1 tsp dried basil): 7-8 leaves
      9. Fresh coriander: 2 tbsp 
      10. Olive oil

      Thai Jasmice Rice:
      1. Thai jasmine rice: 2 cups, steamed (you may use Basmati rice as well)
      2. Garlic: 1 tbsp
      3. Dried basil: 1 tsp 
      4. Salt: to taste 
      5. Olive oil

      Instructions:

      Thai Red Fish Curry
      1. Heat olive oil in a wok and add thai red curry paste. Saute for a minute with a little water (2 tbsp) to make the paste a bit thinner. For a more spicier version, you can add red chilli flakes. Add the coconut milk and mix with the paste until the mixture is homogeneous. Cook for 5 minutes until oil separates and floats to the top.  
      2. Add the fish and stir in "gently" with the coconut milk+curry paste mixture until well coated. Bring the mixture to boil and then lower the heat. Simmer until the fish is cooked through. This will take around 5-7 minutes. 
      3. Add the brown sugar and fish sauce. Let the curry cook for another minute and then stir in the basil leaves and sliced red chilli.
      4. Garnish with coriander.

      Thai Jasmine Rice:
      1. Heat up a little olive oil in a pan or a wok. Add garlic and saute until golden. 
      2. Add the boiled rice with a pinch of salt and dried basil. Do not add any salt if you already added it while boiling the rice.
      3. Toss the rice around until everything is mixed well. 
      4. Cook, covered on very low heat for ten minutes. Ready to serve.

      Serve the curry poured over rice in a bowl or as shown in the picture in this post.


      Happy eating! :)