Diwali 2008

I cooked a lot this yr ... and posting some pictures from Diwali ...will also post other pictures of food I cooked through the year and recipes will follow :)


Stuffed Gobhi


Dum Aloo

Falafel

Hello everyone, I know I haven't posted in ages but I have cooked like crazy all this while..There just hasn't been time.I took pictures,thinking all the time of posting them here but...if wishes were horses ,I would be flying by now ..

Things have changed and happened and those I will talk of another time but today I wanted to post my falafel recipe here :)

Falafel also known in Egypt and Sudan as ta'meya,is a fried ball or patty made from spiced fava beans and/or chickpeas. It is a popular form of fast food in the Middle East, where it is also served as a mezze (snack or tapas).

The word "falafel" is the plural of the Arabic word(filfil),meaning pepper.Variant spellings in English include falafel and filafil.

Falafel is generally served in pita bread, either inside the pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flat pita. In many countries, falafel is a popular street food or fast food. The falafel balls, whole or crushed, may be topped with salads, pickled vegetables and hot sauce, and drizzled with tehina (tahini). Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a mezze. During Ramadan, they are sometimes eaten as part of an iftar, the meal which breaks the daily fast after sunset. find more info here..So , ready for some felafel??

You need
1 cup dried chickpeas or 16 oz. can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans.
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons flour
Salt to taste
Pepper
Oil for frying

This is how you make it:
Soak dried chickpeas in a bowl,overnight.After soaking overnight , boil them. If using canned beans, no need for this step.Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander,cumin,salt and pepper(to taste) in medium bowl. Add flour.Mash chickpeas, mixing all the ingredients thoroughly.Feel free to mix everything in a food processor to get a thick paste.

Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball and flatten slightly.Deep fry in oil until golden brown.

Serve hot with hummus or tahini .

Bread Rolls

Another quick appetiser recipe with THE ubiquitous potato.One of my favorites and always makes me think of mom who I used to watch fascinated as she rolled out this little elongated delights..This is for you mom:)

You need :
2 cup Mashed potatoes
1/2 cup Chopped onion (optional)
2 Chopped green chillies
12 Big Bread slices
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder.
1/2 tsp ajwain
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder .
1/2 tsp Amchur(dried mango powder).
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil to deep fry

This is how you make it:
Mix mashed potatoes, chopped onion, green chilli,red chilli powder,ajwain,garam masala,amchurand salt.Knead to make a smooth mixture.Divide the mixture into 12 equal parts. Soak a bread slice in water and then squeeze out the water by pressing the bread slice (flat) between the palms.Take one part of the potato mixture and put it in the centre of the bread slice and seal all its edges. Gently roll it between your palms to give it an elongated shape.Please make sure that the potato mixture doesnt leak out of the slice.Get all the 12 rolls ready to fry.Heat oil in a deep frying pan on high.Deep fry the bread rolls until golden brown.

Serve hot with mint/corrainder/chutney or chilli sauce or just plain tomato sauce.

Murgh Choley

Murgh is an Indian(mughal influence perhaps!!) name for chicken and sounds way more exotic. Combine that with chickpeas in a curry dish and you have on your hands a yummy,hot deviation from your standard chicken curry.

Murg Choley is basically boneless chicken pieces cooked with chick peas and spices.I always prefer to cook with it drumsticks(you are more than welcome to try it with boneless chicken).The heat of the spices used in this dish is contrasted by the coolness of the yogurt which also provides a certain tartness..

Try it, you shall not be disppointed ..Lets get cooking :)

You need :

6 large Chicken drumsticks(or use 1 lb cubed boneless chicken)
2 onionS Sliced
2 Cups boiled or canned Chick Peas or choley
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
3tbsps oil
Salt to taste
1/2 cup curd
1 tsp chilly Powder
1tsp dhania powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 green Chillies Chopped
2 cloves
2 Choti Elaichi(green cardamoms)
5 black Pepper corns
1 Stick cinnamon
diced corriander to garnish
small piece of julienned(sliced thinly) ginger to garnish

This is how you make it :

Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry onions to a light golden hue.Then remove ,grind into a paste and mix with curd. Now,add dry spices to 2 tbsp oil and add the curd-onion mixture.Follow this by adding the chicken drumsticks,dhania powder ,garam masala,salt and chilli powder .Stir it so that mixtures seeps in nicely into the chicken and then cover.Let it cook till the chicken turns tender.Now add the chickpeas(choley) and some water and let it all cook for 10 minutes .Garnish with chopped coriander, green chillies, ginger sliced and enjoy with rice/naan/rotis..

Tomato Paneer

I made this dish more than a month ago for Holi.The plan was to make matar paneer for the holi party but I couldnt get to the grocery store in time and decided to make do with what I had so Tomato paneer came up instead.It turned out super and was very well appreciated :)

You need:

3 large Tomatoes (ground into puree)
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
2 tsp Coriander Powder
3/4 tsp Tumeric
Salt to taste
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Cumin seeds for seasoning
2 tbsp Oil
1/2 lb Paneer (cut into cubes)
Coriander leaves to garnish

This is how you make it :
In a Pan heat the oil & season with cumin seeds.
Add ginger garlic paste and saute, then add the tomato puree .Follow this up with all the dry spices & stir to combine.Saute till the paste is cooked and leaves the edges of the pan .Now add the cubed paneer, covering it nicely with the tomato and spice puree. Add water approximately so that gravy has medium consistency.Cover with a lid and let it cook for a few minutes.The paneer is now cooked.Keep it covered for a bit so that the paneer imbibes all the flavors thoroughly.

Garnish with chopped corriander leaves and serve hot over Rice/pulao or Roti's.

Mango Bellini

Yeah yeah I know ...I shoud write more often but between globe trotting(read ,my recent trip to Europe) and playing Holi I dont get the time ..I now wish I had gotten more pics of all the delectable stuff we ate in London, Hannover, Amsterdam but thats another post:)

Talking of food ,I have so many recipes and dishes that I have cooked recently but just havent gotten around to posting them .Lets start with some of the recipes some of you have asked for fom my previous posts.

Mango Bellini:

this is delcious and takes less than 2 minutes to make .I made this as a substitute for plain ol Champagne:) . Was definitely well worth it .

You need
Champagne (any name,price range is ok)
Mango nectar(mango juice is also ok but mango nectar is thicker so I thought it did better)

This is how you make it
pour 2 parts champagne in the flute and follow it up with one part mango nectar .

Voila ..your Mango bubbly is ready:)

Holi Hai !!!

Hope you all had a wonderful holi .I had not one but two holi parties, both super fun.

Party Number 1..we played paint ball(messy but fun game) and followed it up with punjabi food( makke ki roti, sarson ka sag, paranthas, chole bature etc), played impromptu holi outside the restaurant and had some more fun later


Party No 1..in the restaurant, everyone's clean!!!


everyone after playing holi

party Number 2 ..very fun as well, this was a pot luck party for which I cooked tomato paneer, Paneer and raisin pulao and gulabjamun.We played with colors and danced and played card games..

clean one moment


Unrecognisable the next


The group Mug shot(do we have any colors left?)

Fantastic way to end the week, I say bring more such celebrations...

Here are pictures of what I cooked. Recipes coming soon:)

What I cooked for the Holi potluck


Tomato Paneer


Paneer and Raisin pulao


The wonderful, the evergreen Gulabjamun:)


ENJOY & HOLI MUBARAK !!!

Breakfast In Bed

The rainy and snowy weather in Seattle can really get to me sometimes(check out the pics and you shall know Iam telling the truth).The winter wonderland is fun only for so many days and then it starts to become more of a nightmare :)

Snow outside my apartment


Even more snow !!!

So many days I just want to sleep in and not leave my warm blanket .Who wants to cook breakfast then?? Certainly not me but this simple breakfast charges me and gets me ready to face the day.

Pancakes with maple syrup(these are my very very unprofessional looking version), blueberries, orange juice and coffee(not in the picture:).We all live in a world of instant gratification so sometimes I just go for pancakes from a box(I still need to mix the batter and pour them on the girdle, which is labor enough for me on those cold unforgiving days).

So cook the pancakes and enjoy with all the other trappings, IN BED :)


P.S ..some of you asked for the recipes from Valentine's day .There are coming, just watch this space:)

Treat for two...Happy Valentines day 2007

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE !!!

I was away because I was a little under the weather and the food that I was cooking and eating wasnt very inspiring or worthy of posting here:) But that couldnt put a dampener on my spirit because Iam back with a bang for Valentines Day 2007 ...

This is the second yr Iam posting pictures from food I cooked,hence the same title as last yr.Valentine's day are always special for my husband and I because we have our anniversary the next day ..and today we celebrate our 5th yr together..big milestone for us both.

So how was your Valentine's day?I cooked a 3 course meal for my hubby of 5 yrs and had a blast.Here are some pictures I want to share :)



Mango Bellini



Spinach salad with shrimp and slivered almonds



Herb Roasted Salmon with Coucous



cheesecake with cherry glaze

Here's hoping your Day was as delectable as mine.

Christmas Recipe 3 - Cornish Hen with Fresh Herbs and roasted potatoes

And now onto the third and final recipe for the Christmas spread I prepared -Cornish Hen with fresh herbs and roasted potatoes.You will find a little backdrop on cornish hen Here.

Before I decided on a menu for Xmas I thought about Cornish Hen with great trepidation because I was scared of cooking it.Why,you ask ..because I have never cooked a stuffed or roasted whole bird..chicken or turkey.Picking up a rotisserie chicken at Safeways or Fred Meyers is as far as I have gone(giggling just thinking about it).Besides,Iam from the land of curry :-) A roasted bird with just a little bit of seasoning could be a little bland for my taste if not marinated with the right spices(kidding)

However,my sister cooked a delicious turkey this past thanksgiving (pics of which I shall post sometime)and that gave me hope.She said I could do it too ..Yeah ,I thought let me not do a 15 pound turkey or 5 pound chicken but a 1 pound cornish hen I can do.

So,I bought a twin pack of Tyson premium rock cornish game hen and after much cleaning ,seasoning and roasting I was able to turn out a fairly tasty and nice looking bird :).Try it , its fun I guarantee you.


A frozen tyson cornish hen

You need :
1 cornish Hen (without giblets)
6 small red potatoes
Salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 fresh sage leaves, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary and sage, plus extra sprigs for stuffing cavity and garnishing plates
3 lemon slices
3 slices Onion(red/white/yellow)
Kitchen string (optional)

This is how you make it:
Since this bird was in the freezer for a while,I set it outside to thaw a day in advance.(yes it takes a lot of time to thaw)

Preheat oven to 450°F.Cut potatoes into small,bite-size pieces;toss with salt and pepper,garlic, and sage and place in a large, shallow roasting pan.Set in the oven.

Rinse the hen inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.Fold back wings.Rub with butter and sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper.Sprinkle with finely chopped herbs,and place a few more herb sprigs into each hen’s cavity.Also stuff the onion rings and the lemon slices into the bird.You can tie the hen's legs together with kitchen string to hold shape,if you want.(I did not do so.)

Remove potatoes from oven and place the hen on top.Return to pan and roast for 50-55 minutes, or until the hen's juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a fork and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 180°F.

Remove the cooked hen from the pan and cover with aluminium foil for 10 minutes before serving.(why ?? if you slice right away ,the juices will drip and the bird will be bland.But if you let it sit then the juices are reabsorbed,bird will be taste better).

Garnish with fresh herb sprigs .To serve, place some potatoes and a piece of the hen you desire alongside mushroom-shrimp pulao and bean salad.

Christmas Recipe 2 - Green Bean Salad

Lets go to recipe number 2.This is a recipe my sister picked up from Food Network which I enjoy watching by the way.She and I made for the Thanksgiving getogether.I loved it so much that I had to make it again.Its so so simple and delicious (that's if you are a bean lover).I will admit that I do not know how to make too many things with beans apart from various kind of bhajis .This western take on them was super appealing to me.

Go ahead , try this and Iam sure you will love it.Thankyou to Ellie Krieger whose recipe this is:)

You need :
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 teaspoons walnut oil or olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

This is how you make it :
Bring a large pot of water with a steamer basket to a boil, add green beans and steam for about 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Toast the walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat until they become fragrant, about 2 minutes, and then transfer them to a small bowl to cool. Add the parsley and onion to the walnuts and stir to combine.

In another small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar and mustard. Toss the dressing with the green beans, top with the walnut mixture and season with salt and pepper.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Christmas Recipe 1- Mushroom and shrimp pulao

I enjoyed writing about my afternoontea experience in British Columbia and based on the comments from some of you ,you all seemed to have enjoyed reading it too(apparently it took us all back to my Enid Blyton days).Thanks for reading and getting back to me.Hearing back makes me feel that Iam talking to someone and makes it all worthwhile :)

Some of my loyal blog friends read my xmas post and asked for the recipes for the Cornish Hen, Mushroom &shrimp pulao and bean salad .Here Iam posting them one at a time .

While I was writing the recipe for this dish,I also realised that while I have posted pictures of some of my food ,I havent posted recipes for those .I guess thats how I started out,unknowingly titillating some of the readers with the pictures.yeah ..just pictures.(Gosh ,I was almost sadistic)

Well,high time I share the recipes .You ask which ones ???Well,I have piyaaz maach(fish cooked in spicy onion and garlic paste), aloor dom(bengali style),keema with vegetables,Doi maach(fish cooked in yogurt),khichudi, Labda (a lovely sweet-savory vegatble mix, bengali style),bandakopi torkari(cabbage with peas),baigun bhaja(panfried aubergine slices ),tomato chutney,khejur guder payish(rice pudding in date palm jaggery),rumali roti)...amongst others..Phew!!I need to stop,the list is getting too long)

Anyhow, so shall return to posting those unposted recipes intermittently .For now ,let me just get back to the pulao I made for Xmas :-)

You need:
2 cups -Basmati(or any other long grained rice)
1 cup sliced button Mushrooms
1 cup (thawed)- Shrimp (frozen precooked baby shrimp)
1 large sliced onion
1 Tsp- Cumin
2 Tbsp- Ghee or Oil
Salt to taste
Chopped corriander to garnish

This is how you make it:
Heat oil /ghee in a skillet and add the cumin.Once the cumin starts popping add the the sliced onions.Saute them till they are golden .Then add sliced mushrooms and shrimp and cook till they they are soft .

Now Add the 2 cups of rice and pour 4 cups of the water into the skillet .Add salt to taste and cover .Cook on medium heat Keep checking for doneness and cook about 20 minutes.Once the rice looks cooked , turn off the heat and let it sit.This leaves the rice fluff up.

Enjoy with Cornish hen, bean salad and yogurt:)

Care for some Tea ..eh??

What is it about little girls and tea parties??When I was a little girl , I would have imaginary tea parties with my dolls(they were not sophisticated and did not include all the fancy-schmancy things kids have today).But they were so much fun. They made me feel grown up and in charge.I have seen my 6 yr old niece have the same tea parties with her freinds.Those tea sets and all that pretend food (scones, cookies, sandwiches )is so pretty ,I sometimes forget Iam an adult and all grown up.I admit I have indulged ina tea party or two with my little niece.

A little girl's tea set
(courtesy: Here)

Talking of various kinds of tea parties and events ,I knew there was something called high tea (The Enid Blyton books during my childhood helped here) but afternoon tea ..now, that I did not know .Apparently they are both different .

Afternoon tea ceremonies began back in the mid 1800s, when the Duchess of Bedford started having a tray of tea with bread and butter served to her in the mid-afternoon. In those days, lunch was served at noon but dinner was not eaten until 8 or even 9 o'clock at night. The Duchess found herself hungry during those long afternoon hours. It became a regular occurance and as she began to invite other high-society ladies to join her, having Afternoon Tea became the 'in-thing' for the upper-class women. Along with tea, there would be small pastries with clotted cream or preserves, delicate sandwiches, and scones. Oh, how Lovely and very Lady like,Dont you agree!!

High Tea on the other hand is a term used by many people to describe the event mentioned above, probably because it sounds more elite. But High Tea is a much different thing. It was served later (around six in the evening) and consisted of a full, dinner meal for the common people. Tea was still served, but there would also be meats, fish or eggs, cheese, bread and butter, and cake. It was more of a man's meal, than a ladies social diversion.
Courtesy:(Here)

Now, that I feel more educated , I have to tell you all about the afternoon tea I had at the Fairmont Empress, BC last week which was not just tea but an experience in itself .The Empress which is an epitome of the British style and grace in the new world has been hosting England's most beloved ritual in its majestic lobby for almost a century.

Afternoon tea , I heard is served at various locations including the harborside room or under the hand painted ceiling of the Library lounge but we chose the very opulent Tea Lobby .I was utterly charmed by the Victorian elegance and grace that permeated the space around me.The dress code is "smart casual" (torn jeans, short shorts, tank tops, sport shoes, etc snottishly looked down at)so we all took care not to dress in typical tourist fare.But, wait ...we made a gaffe, we hadnt made reservations( somehow we were naive enough to think that we would be able to get in at noon .But guess what, that did'nt happen.)So we made reservations for 3:45pm and decided to go have something to eat at Smithy's , go the British Coumbian Museum in the meantime.


The opulent tea lobby at the Empress

We returned again at 3:40pm to be greeted by Pritam who seated us in the tea lobby. We had comfortable,high backed , chairs upholstered in green .The Christmas melodies on the piano provided the perfect backdrop. Our decadent journey then began with a bowl of seasonal fruit topped with a dollop of chantilly cream. Next came the coppery-gold ,signature Empress Blend tea which was poured into our Royal Doulton tea cups. I had my tea with cream and two "lumps" of sugar .Finally, came the porcelain tier ladden with magnificient goodies.Puurfect !!

Here's the sample menu :

• Tea sandwiches filled with cucumber, smoked BC salmon & cream cheese, carrot & ginger with cream cheese, pesto egg salad on foccacia crustini and curry mango chicken salad
• Traditional English raisin scones served with clotted cream and strawberry preserves
• Delicate bite-size pastries, including valhrona caramel chocolate truffles in a chocolate cup, lemon curd tarts with glazed berries, choux pastries filled with green tea white chocolate cream, sour cherry almond pound cakes, and traditional shortbread cookies

Oh Heaven!!!

Afternoon Tea at the Empress

We also ordered some sparkling wine , a mimosa and a glass of sparkling wine with cranberry liquer(not sure ).

After several cups of tea and these bite sized delights we had to cancel dinner because this can be seemingly light but actually hearty meal .We were full and extremely pleased.When it was time to leave our server promptly delivered the check to our table along with a small box of Empress Blend tea for each of us to take home. What a wonderful surprise.

Happy to have afternoon tea for a day

I left the place with a big smile on my face and tonnes of appreciation for my husband who me and my sister dragged to this event.As for my niece and I , looks like we had ourselves a real tea party at last :-)

Kolhapuri Kombdi

I have always loved chicken and toned down the spices and the heat after marraige because hubby dear does not do well with very hot dishes .

Lately however my taste buds were craving something HOT,something spicy that makes me reach out for that glass of water and so I had to look around for a recipe which uses something other than the usual onion, tomato, ginger and garlic ..that gives it a kick ..

I landed this recipe for Kolhapuri chicken also called Kolhapuri kombdi (chicken's called Kombdi in the western Indian state of Maharashtra) cooked with lots of hot dry red chillies to sharpen the tastebuds.Needless to say this dish delivered and was well loved ..even by diserning audience such as my hubby who shies away from such concoctions.While the roasted poppy,sesame and coconut added the "x" factor , the chilli powder gave it that KICK ...

This is a chicken dish I definitely recommend ..

You need :
8 medium sized pieces of chicken (I use chicken drumsticks)
1 cup( browned onions
2 tablespoon(s) each of sesame and poppy seeds dry roasted
2 tablespoon(s) grated coconut roasted till dry
½ teaspoon(s) turmeric powder
1 tablespoon(s) each of ginger, garlic pastes
4 medium onions finely chopped
1 tablespoon(s) red chilli powder (please tone that down if u wish)
2 large tomatoes chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoon(s) coriander leaves finely chopped
2 tablespoon(s) oil
salt to taste
finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

This is how you make it :

Make slits on the chicken pieces.In a bowl make a marinade out of half of the ginger-garlic paste,turmeric powder and salt to taste.Rub this marinade into the chicken pieces very well and allow to marinate for about an hour. Meanwhile ,grind together the browned onions, roasted coconut, sesame and poppy seeds to a paste.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan till hot. Add the chopped onions and fry for a few seconds. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry till the onions are browned. Add the red chilli powder and fry.Now add the chopped tomatoes and fry on medium heat till the fat separates from the sides of the pan.Add the chicken pieces and fry on high heat for for about 2 minute.

Now,add the ground paste, water and sprinkle salt to taste and mix well. Bring to a boil. Stir in the garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.Cover and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes or till the chicken is fully tenderised.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.Enjoy with nan , roti or rice .

Happy New Year

Heres wishing you all a wonderful and eventful 2007 .

Do you know that almost all countries have special and lucky foods which if eaten in the first few days of the new yr bring wealth, luck or success in the new yr.Here are some of those foods and the stories behind them.

Japan

Food:New year foods that are believed to be particularly auspicious are soba noodles which are especially long noodles that should be sucked up and eaten without breaking them to ensure long life, and mochi rice, which is a rice that is more sticky than ordinary rice and is pressed into cakes called omochi -- then it's either broiled or eaten in soup called Ozoni

story :large omochi cakes are first offered to the gods, then cut into pieces and eaten by the family to bring the opportunity for luck and good health to every New Year's meal.

Greece

Food: Vasilopita (a cake baked with a coin inside)

Story: the Greek tradition of eating Vasilopita originated from the famously high taxes that the Ottoman Empire imposed on the Greek people during the long Ottoman reign.It is believed that a Bishop of Greece, through some miracle, managed to recover a large portion of the Greek people's riches from the Ottoman's grasp. When he attempted to return the riches to their respective owners fighting among the Greek people broke out -- no one could agree on who had owned what!

The second miracle of the story unveils itself here: Saint Basil asked the women to bake a large cake with the valuables inside. When he sliced the cake, the valuables miraculously found their way back to their rightful owners! Today, a cake is baked in honor of this miracle and one coin is baked inside of it. The person who bites into his piece of cake and finds the coin will be blessed with good luck in the coming New Year.

Italy

Food: cotechino con lenticchie-pork sausage served over lentils

Story:: This New Year food is eaten because of the presence of fatty rich pork sausage and lentils in it.Cotechino sausage is a symbol of abundance because they are rich in fat;while lentils symbolize money (being both green and coin shaped).This New Year food promises a double-packs of luck!

Spain

A magnificently large harvest only happens every so often, and when it does, the year that the harvest blossomed is celebrated. At the turn of the century, Spain experienced a gigantic grape harvest. The harvest was so grandiose that the year is marked as a time of great luck. Every year since, Spanish people have brought in the New Year by eating 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight. At each strike of the Plaza del Sol clock (which is broadcast to the entire country much like the United States broadcasts the Time's Square clock), another grape is eaten in celebration of lucky years past, and in hope of a lucky year to come.
(http://www.123newyear.com)

Do you have any New yr stories and lucky foods you know of ?Let us know how we can bring on the luck and prosperity this yr:-)

A very Merry Xmas

Hope everyone had a great Christmas .I know I did...good food and great times with family..what else does one need? Here's a picture story of all the food and festivities .


Here comes Santa Claus

The stage is set and Dinner is served


Cornish Hen with Fresh Herbs and roasted potatoes

Mushroom and shrimp pulao


Green Bean Salad

Shahi Tukda

Soyabean Matar Pulao with Basmati Rice

Alright, alright -I admit to to being spoilt .After eating long grained , fragrant and beautiful basmati rice which literally melts in your mouth, all my life ..I find it difficult to adjust to coarser, thicker rice .Eating freshly cooked basmati rice is like eating fluffy ,little white peices of heaven .I will also admit that with passage of time I have come to understand the virtues of different varieties of rice..

Did you know that the word ‘basmati’ means fragrant, and refers to the nutlike flavor and aroma of this small, but long grained rice. It has been used in India and Pakistan for thousands of years and is excellent with curries. Several varieties are now grown in the U.S., such as Texmati and Kasmati, and all are growing in popularity. (One U.S. company has made an effort to patent Basmati rice and trademark the name). Their flavor is very good, but not quite up to real imported Basmati. (www.foodreference.com)

The other main ingredients of my pulao which are soyabean and peas are rife with proteins .I make matar pulao often but soyabeans make this dish much more protein packed and give it a twist .I love it and think you all should try it .

So let's get cracking

You need :
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 black cardamom seeds
6 whole black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 cup cooked soyabeans (boiled in salted water)
2 cups uncooked basmati rice, rinsed and drained
4 cups water
salt to taste

This is how you make it :
Heat the oil in a deep heavy skillet over low heat. Add thecumin, cardamom seeds and peppercorns .Cook for a few minutes to bring out the aroma of the spices. Add the green peas to the pan, cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 4 cups of water and rice to the pan. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, then cover, and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add the cooked soyabean and cook until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed.

Cover the skillet and let the rice sit for a while .S erve when its fluffy with cool cucumber raita and pickle .

Tilapia with wild rice

Fish and rice are wonderful ...I love fish and always look to making fish in different ways -baked, broiled, poached, fried , cooked in foil ...different herbs, marinades etc .Ofcourse there's always so many different kinds of fish availabe to choose from-salmon, tilapia, sea bass, catfish, mahi mahi, snapper, cod ..the list goes on and on .

This time I chose Tilapia..which is a fresh water fish and takes on new flavors easily .Tilapia species are native to Africa and the Levant (for example the sea of Galilee, where according to legend Jesus used it to feed the 5000, resulting in the nickname St. Peter's fish).

Wild rice also called Indian Rice, Water Rice, or Water Oats is considered a delicacy, has long been an important food of North American Indians and wild rice is not related to, related to rice (Oryza sativa). I once ate cornish hen with wild rice and was inspired to cook it more often or atleast try it a couple of times . So without further ado , lets start cooking .

You need
2 tilapia fillets !
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil for marinade
Olive oil to pan fry
black pepper
salt to taste
chopped corriander

1 cup wild rice
3 cups water or chicken broth
salt to taste
seasoning to taste (Maggi Chicken Flavored Bouillon )

This is how you make it
Marinate the tilapia fillets in olive oil and lemon juice. Add salt ,black pepper , chopped corriander and set aside for 15-20 minutes.

Cooking the rice
Wash 1 cup uncooked wild rice thoroughly. Add to 3 cups boiling water or chicken stock(I use chicken stock for extra flavor) , salted and seasoned to taste(add maggi chicken seasoning according to taste), in a saucepan. Return water to boil and stir. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 50-60 minutes or just until kernals puff open. Uncover and fluff with table fork. This will give you 3-4 cups of cooked wild rice.

Now , heat some olive oil or any other oil in the pan and pan fry the fish so that the it turns brown on both sides and flaky .Take care not to move the fish in the pan or it will break .

Your tilapia is now ready. Serve it on top of a bed of fragrant wild rice. Add salsa for that extra zing and enjoy .

Pasta with catfish

I have found Pasta to be so versatile, there seems to be no end to the ways one can cook with pasta .And the types of pasta is a post or many by itself . On a busy work day with my fridge almost bare of anything , I found a couple of catfish fillets and some pasta and sundried tomotoes .After a minute or two of reflection this is what I came up with ...

You need
2 catfish fillets chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp lemon juice
olive oil to fry
salt to taste
red pepper to taste
3 tbsp julienned sun dried tomatoes
1/4 pound pasta (any shape will do)
1/2 a cup chicken stock
1/2 onion thinly sliced( we get big onions here)
1 tsp chopped garlic
Basil to garnish

This is how you make it
Marinate the catfish cubes in olive oil and lemon juice. Add salt and red pepper and set aside for 15-20 minutes. After that, fry the marinated pieces of fish in olive oil till they are brown and firm .take care not to burn them .Set aside
In the meantime cook pasta . On a seperate pan , fry the sliced onion with garlic , once the onion is soft add the chicken stock and let it boil and then turn the heat down .Now add the julienned tomatoes and toss the cooked pasta into the pan.Add salt and pepper to taste and now add the cooked peices of fish.

Mix everything thoroughly and garnish with basil leaves . Serve with white wine and salad and enjoy :-)

Iam BACK ...

hi folks ...

gots tonnes of messages while I was away and I agree I was away for a really long time ..almost 9 months ...was busy ..finishing up Masters, changing jobs, moving to a new city , visiting home and parents visiting ..and ofcourse my digital camera was'nt exactly cooperating ..couldnt take pictures for a while.

Thankyou all for keeping in touch and encouraging me to get back ..and though I was was away , I did not stop cooking ..had a lovely thanksgiving dinner complete with turkey , have cooked other dinners when freinds were over, birthdays , get togethers and hopefully some great stuff for Christmas ...

Keep watching this space