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I’m not surprised that my 5 year old is quite a foodie, worships Giada and dreams of being the next Top Chef!
Long before she was born, I have been into anything and everything related to cooking …from gawking at mouthwatering pictures on food blogs, experimenting in the kitchen every chance I got and watching television shows on the Food Network or Cooking Channel. As a baby, my daughter would be sleeping on my while I watched cooking shows on TV, crawling around the kitchen while I cooked and even playing with the pots and pans, cooking up all kinds of toys in them. I guess it’s but natural that cooking is one thing that bonds us together very strongly.
When we are not catching up on “Giada at Home”, Nia and I love spending time baking together on the weekends and holidays. During the week, when we get back home in the evening, she joins me in the kitchen for a little cooking therapy. We spend a couple of hours cooking together, talking about her day at school as we prepare and finally feast on our “concoction of the day”.
When she was younger, I would just pop her on the counter and have her wash off fruits or vegetables, press the button on the food processor or stick M&Ms on to cookies and watch her giggle and laugh. It was precious!
As she grew up, I started giving her tasks like measuring ingredients, whisking eggs, mixing the pancake batter or stirring up her favorite chocolate sauce for dipping strawberries and she would get immense pleasure out of helping me. It was also a great sense of achievement for her to be a part of the process that was going on the kitchen and then getting to taste the fruits of her hard work.
Now, at 5, she is able to cut veggies on her own! This is a huge accomplishment for her and I am so proud of her!
So for Mother’s day this year, I thought of sharing concoctions that I whip up together with my lil Top Chef!
Read on … »
Its been quite a while since my last post! Well, after a fun-filled Summer and Fall at home with my family, I’m now busy working in the clouds 
I’m back to work and it’s so much fun as I get to taste a little bit of San Francisco everyday! Even if it is for a few minutes, I try to step out for lunch and explore the foodie hot spots in downtown area. There are such amazing places to eat around my office building and then my favorite place in the foodie city, the Ferry Building, is just a hop, skip and a jump away  . On balmy SF afternoons, I get out and join in the hustle-bustle of the farmers’ market or go strolling inside the building, getting inspirations and relishing the flavors of the marketplace.
Life’s certainly busier than ever before and I just haven’t had time to write about my signature concoctions lately. But, that doesn’t mean I have stopped cooking and clicking! When I’m done with work, I look forward to coming home and getting me some “cooking therapy” . I guess it’s my passion for cooking that makes it such a relaxing and therapeutic activity for me to do at the end of the day. And it also gives me a great sense of satisfaction to have fed my family with fresh, home-cooked food everyday.
In the last few weeks, I have been making my go-to jhatpat subzis or some weeknight quickies, primarily staying in my comfort zone. And then there were the other days when my creative juices were overflowing and I made concoctions like pasta with shrimp, grape tomatoes and baby spinach in a light wine sauce, a hearty pasta dish with fresh, clean flavors or spicy lentils with steamed brown basmati rice, a traditional Maharashtrian dish packed with proteins and carbohydrates that will leave you feeling re-energized at the end of the day and finally, baked masala fish packets, a full and delicious meal that’s done in a little pouch, making the clean up easier that ever.
These dishes are a great way to treat yourself after long hours at work – weeknight wonders that are ready in minutes and completely satisfying! Try making one of these and enjoy the therapeutic experience of cooking.
Read on … »
As I was making preparations for the dinner in the morning on Thanksgiving Day, I was thinking of how much I love it here, especially around this time of the year. Living in the US for the past decade or so, I have added new holidays to the list of Indian festivals I celebrate with friends and family here, like Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Halloween is one holiday that I never really celebrated as such, but it sure is a lot of fun now as I get to dress up my little girl in cute costumes every year. Thanksgiving, on the other hand, is something I have been enjoying every year since I moved to this country. As a student at the Rutgers Univ in NJ, I was a part of the International Friendship Program that introduced me to this traditional American holiday. My friend through the program, the principal of Rutgers Prep School, invited me to join his entire family for the holiday weekend at their beautiful house on lake Mohawk in Sparta NJ.
As you can see from the pictures, I had a blast during my first Thanksgiving holiday. As a new student from another country, it was a perfect way for me to learn about the American culture. From that wonderful experience, I came back happy memories and a new tradition. Every year since then, I get together with friends and family and celebrate this traditional holiday.
This year, my friends Meghana, Kanika and I got together with our families, and enjoyed an day long Thanksgiving dinner. It was a joint effort; we had a casual dinner, chit-chatting, playing games and making appetizers and cocktails together while waiting for the oven to finish roasting the chicken and the biryani.
Here’s a recap of our Thanksgiving dinner …
Read on … »
Light, crispy and decadent baklava reminds me of my first and the worst encounter with the phyllo dough. Seeing it on TV, I was inspired make that scrumptious dessert at home, but within no time, I got frustrated dealing with the phyllo dough. I somehow managed to complete the task at hand and ended up with a not-so-bad baklava that day. But I decided I never want to see the phyllo dough ever and switched to the ready-to- use phyllo cups for making cute little concoctions.
…This was a couple of years ago; now I am fearless with the phyllo! After I ran into it again at school, the ultra-thin, incredibly delicate phyllo sheets don’t seem to be scary any more.
Sure, phyllo dough is very high-maintenance and you might be tempted to take the easier route with the puff pastry dough, but with some patience and careful handling you can bake it like a pro!
Some basic ground rules I learnt when working with phyllo:
- Ready to use phyllo dough is sold frozen in the grocery store, usually found near the pie crusts and pastry sheets in the freezers. It needs to be thawed before using, usually overnight in the refrigerator or if you are short of time, a 3-4 hours at room temperature.
- If you don’t need the entire pack, you can separate out a few sheets and refrigerate (up to 2 weeks) or refreeze the remaining sheets by wrapping them back in to the package.
- To prevent the sheets from drying or cracking out, keep them covered in plastic wrap with a damp kitchen/paper towel on top of the plastic.
- Use a soft-bristled brush to butter or oil (canola or vegetable only, no olive oil) the sheets as firm bristles can cause them to easily break or tear. Don’t worry if a sheet tears, just stick it back.
- Prep the fillings ahead of time and save the phyllo for last. Also, do not wrap the fillings too tightly or they may burst the dough.
- When layering or folding the sheets, don’t worry if they are not perfectly aligned or flat. You can always trim the edges.
- Phyllo dough can burn easily, so watch while it’s baking.
Phyllo adds a special flavor and texture to any dish. You can use it as a light and flaky crust for making sweet and savory tarts or pies. It’s also works great when wrapped up with all kinds of fillings for making appetizers. Just keep in mind the basic rules when working with phyllo and you’ll have light, crisp and delicious baked goodies in no time!
Phyllo Triangles with Mushroom Kheema
(Phyllo Pastries with Minced Mushroom Filling)
The appetizer form of the savory Greek pie filled with a mixture of spinach, onions and feta cheese, Spanakopita, comes in the shape of triangular phyllo pastries. I have tried ready-to-bake product from the supermarket and enjoyed authentic Greek pastries at home. After a formal training on phyllo handling at school, I successfully recreated the spanakopita triangles at home from scratch. Once I got the folding technique, all kinds of ideas were bursting in my head and I mixed in some amazing fillings for the triangles – shredded smoked mozarella with sun-dried tomatoes, herbed goat cheese with crushed walnuts and one of the best ones I made were with my very own mushroom kheema
Apart from making triangles, you can roll the phyllo sheets to make spring rolls, wrap it around with the ends open to make cigar-shaped hors d’oeuvres or cut it in squares and bundle the edges up to form little pouches and even make your own phyllo cups by baking the little squares of sheets in muffin pans.
Makes 15-16
phyllo dough sheets, thawed and covered with a plastic wrap and damp towel (refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or refreeze the remaining sheets by wrapping them back in to the package)
about 1 cup melted unsalted butter/canola/vegetable oil, for brushing
1 cup filling (mushroom kheema or any other of your choice)
Preheat the oven to 400 deg F.
On a clean surface, lay one sheet of phyllo dough. Using a soft-bristled pastry brush, quickly coat the sheet with oil/melted butter. Fold it in half towards yourself, along the length and brush it with a little more oil/butter.
Place about a tablespoon of the filling in the bottom center and fold the corner up towards the sheets opposite edge, forming a small triangle (as shown in picture 2 above)
Fold the triangle along the sheet to form another triangle (as shown in picture 3 above)
Repeat the steps till you reach the end of the sheet (as shown in pictures 4-6 above).
Brush the triangle with oil/butter and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet (as shown in pictures 7-8 above)
Repeat with the remaining sheets and filling.
Bake for about 8-10 mins, until golden brown.
Cool down for a about 5 mins and serve.
…
Phyllo Tart with Roasted Red Peppers, Goat Cheese and Carmelized Onions
After my classic savory and sweet tarts, here’s a crispy, flaky phyllo tart that has all the delicious goodness of a French tart but without all the fat of a regular pastry. I particularly love the combination of caramelized onions, goat cheese and roasted red peppers. It always works wonders, like in the piadina I had made earlier.
Phyllo tarts are made the same way regular puff pastry tarts are made, by lining the tart pan with the dough. But the interim step of blind baking the tart shell is not required. Since the phyllo sheets are so thin, even with a number of sheets stuck to each other to form the shell, the tart turns crispy and golden brown within a few minutes and finishes baking along with the filling in it.
For 1 3×3 tart
2 phyllo dough sheets, thawed and covered with a plastic wrap and damp towel (refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or refreeze the remaining sheets by wrapping them back in to the package)
melted unsalted butter/canola/vegetable oil, for brushing
The Filling:
1 slice of jarred, roasted red pepper in water, diced
about 2 tbsp crumbled goat cheese
about 2 tbsp caramelized onions
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 deg F.
Toss all the ingredients for the filling gently in a bowl, season with salt and pepper.
On a clean surface, lay one sheet of phyllo dough. Using a soft-bristled pastry brush, quickly coat the sheet with oil/melted butter and lay another sheet on top of it.
Cut the the two sheets (stuck to one another) into half (around the edges of the tart pan) and lay each piece on top of the other by brushing butter/oil in between.
Brush the tart pan with butter/oil and line it with the prepared phyllo sheets, making sure it sits it snug, folding the edges over.
Pour the filling mixture in to the prepared tart shell and bake for about 8-10 mins till the crust turns golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.
Remove from the tart pan and serve warm or at room temperature.
Coming up next in the series of things I learnt at school, are tarts. I love both kinds – savory & sweet. A savory tart filled with cheese and all kinds of meats and veggies is great as an elegant hors d’oeuvre, appetizer or light main course and a sweet tart for dessert, filled with fresh fruits, rich nuts, irresistible chocolate or smooth ‘n’ silky cream….sounds yum  . They make an elegant impression, showing off their outer beauty by revealing the fillings that go inside the shell. I believe serving a narrow slice of tart or a little tartlet is a stylish way to add finesse to any occasion. (Alright…I think you got the point?!)
While, I have acquired the skill of making the pastry dough for the tart shell after going to culinary school, I have to say that it’s not that easy if you wanna try it, just for kicks. It’s also not something for the weak at heart or if you are obsessive compulsive about a clean kitchen  . It will get dirty, it will be a royal mess and it will take time to clean up. Steel yourself!!! Just go to the store and grab frozen pastry dough or a few tart shells and fill’em up with the most amazing things!
Read on … »
“I am 3!” said my daughter, Nia, as she raised her little fingers and counted upto three. Yes, my babygirl just turned three! I don’t know where the last three years have gone and it’s hard to believe that she’s grown up into a girlie girl who loves getting dressed, going shopping, talking incessantly all the time and even cooking tirelessly in her own little kitchen spinning out delicacies for mommy, daddy and anyone who comes over. (I secretly pray she becomes a cooking show host one day!)
This birthday was certainly different than her previous birthdays. She actually understood that the day was something special and that it was all about her. So we decided to have two parties! One at school and one at home and she had a blast at both. With all the gifts that she received, she was one very happy birthday girl! To make it even more special Mommy decided to bake her birthday cake. While I usually try to put as much distance myself and the oven, since my bake-a-thon this past holiday, I have been growing more and more confident.
So what’s more challenging (and incredibly stressful) than making your own daughter’s birthday cake?! - making her a birthday cupcake
Read on … »
When it’s snowy and freezing outside, ’tis the season for holiday baking! It is December and believe it or not, we already had the first snow of the season. With the holidays coming up, I added a bunch of festive things to my grocery list. That way when school’s out, I’ll be ready to whip up some holiday treats .
I think there is something special about holidays that makes us wanna bake – whether to relive childhood memories of homemade goodies or to put an extra touch of love into the food for our loved ones. Now, I have to admit, I am not a baker . I think I do a fairly good job at cooking, but I tend to stay away from baking! That’s why, for Christmas every year, I usually put together a holiday dinner at home with family and close friends. However, this holiday season, I was somehow inspired to get into my kitchen, don my apron and turn flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and what not into something delicious.
Check out the results of my first ever holiday bake-a-thon…
Read on … »
A couple of weeks ago, I was browsing the New Books aisle at my local library when my eyes caught a book called Grilled Pizzas and Piadinas. First of all, the idea of grilling pizzas seemed a bit unusual to me! and what’s a piadina?! I wasn’t sure but I definitely wanted to find out!
As I dug in, I learned all about a specific subset of pizzas that the author, Chef Craig Priebe, was talking about - those baked on the grill. The book shows how passionate he is about his pizza and that grilling pizza on a grill (indoor or outdoor) is truly an art! The first chapter is on grilling gear and then the book moves on to steps for making the crust. Great cookbooks, like this one, are all about technique; you can play with the ingredients and create your own toppings! For those of you who prefer a step-by-step approach, there are a variety of specific recipes as well.
For me, the beauty of this book lies less in those specific recipes and more in the grilling technique. I found it to be a truly inspirational cookbook that taught me to create a unique and innovative pizza; wanna see how my pizza and piadina turned out?!
Grilled Pizza with Roasted Garlic, Sausage, Onions, Mushrooms and Cherry Tomatoes
(Indoor Grilling Method using a Cast-iron Skillet)
Chef Craig Priebe, in his first cookbook, Grilled Pizzas & Piadinas, gives his innovative take on the world’s favorite food – pizza. Most of his pizza creations call for familiar ingredients in unexpectedly surprising combinations! But the bottom line is that by grilling the pizza base you don’t get the melted cheese on top like the “regular” pizza. Instead, Chef Priebe focuses on the earthy, lightly charred curst of the pie and plays with the fresh toppings.
The book even includes a basic pizza dough recipe but if you are in a rush (like I am most of the times!), Priebe recommends store-bought fresh or refrigerated Pillsbury Pizza Dough for the crust. So with this for the base, I created a white pizza sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and topped with sautéed chicken sausage, mushrooms, onions, roasted garlic, cherry tomatoes, and basil confetti. Give it a try and you’ll fall in love with pizza all over again!
Makes 4 personal pizzas
Topping
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + for Herbed Grill Oil
4-5 garlic cloves, smashed and skinned
2 fully cooked chicken sausages, diced
6-8 button mushrooms, sliced
1 small yellow onion, sliced
salt
freshly ground black pepper
8-10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
5-6 basil leaves, julienned
Parmesan cheese, grated and shaved
Pizza Crust
1 pack of Pillsbury Pizza Dough
Making the topping
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and dry roast the garlic cloves till they turn light brown in color. There is no need to add oil since the natural oil released by the cloves is enough for the roasting process. Remove the garlic and set aside.
In the same pan, heat a tbsp of olive oil and sauté sausage till it turns light brown. Remove the sausage and set aside.
Add the remaining tbsp of olive oil and sauté onions and mushrooms till they turn light brown in color. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Assembling the Pizza
Wipe the pan with a paper towel moistened with olive oil. Preheat the pan over medium-high heat for 5 mins.
Open the dough packet and spread open the dough on a lightly floured surface. Depending on the size of the grill pan cut the sheet of dough into smaller squares, so that they fit on the grill pan. Pick up the piece of dough with both hands and lay it in the hot pan. The crust should bubble on top within a min. If not, turn the heat up a little.
After 2 mins, check the crust by lifting an edge with your tongs. When bottom turns brown, remove it to the cookie sheet. 4. Turn the crust over and brush it with Herbed Grill Oil.
Preheat your broiler.
Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese, followed by about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Sargento Italian cheese mix. Spread the sausage, mushrooms and onions along with halved cherry tomatoes evenly over the base and garnish with basil and roasted garlic.
Reheat the grilling pan for about a min. Slide the pizza back into it and brown the bottom until crispy, 3-5 mins.
When the bottom is golden brown and crispy with grill marks, transfer the pizza onto a cookie sheet and place it under the broiler for about a min until the top is sizzling hot.
Transfer the pizza to a plate. Garnish with julienned basil and Parmesan shavings. Serve immediately.
…
Piadina with Carmelized Onions, Goat Cheese, Arugula and Roasted Red Peppers
After the grilled pizzas, the author moves on to a mouth-watering section of grilled piadinas in the cookbook. Piadina is a popular Italian flatbread sandwich that can be filled with almost anything! Traditionally, piadina dough is unleavened but Chef Priebe shares his secret with the readers . Piadinas using pizza dough! He says that if it’s made this way, it will be a thicker and a slightly softer version of the traditional unleavened flatbread, but will have the same look and feel! The book suggests a regular store-bought pizza dough, but I used the Pillsbury thin crust pizza dough and rolled it to make it even thinner than usual.
So with the cookbook as my userguide and a semi-homemade shortcut, I created my very own piadina with carmelized onions, goat cheese, peppery arugula and sweet roasted red peppers. Go ahead, take a bite!
Makes 2 piadinas
herbed/plain goat cheese
2 jarred roast red peppers, diced
handful of arugula leaves
Carmelized Onions
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp sugar
garlic salt/reg salt
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
The Flatbread
1 pack Pillsbury Thin Crust Pizza Dough
Carmelized Onions
Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet on medium heat and add onions along with sugar and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until they turn light brown, for about 15-20 mins. Reduce the heat to low and splash with balsamic vinegar. Cook for a couple mins till the vinegar vaporizes.Remove from heat and let it cool down a little bit.
Preparing the Flatbread
Preheat a flat griddle over medium-high heat for 5 mins.
Break open the packet of readymade dough and roll to make it even thinner, about 3-4 mm of thickness. Depending on the size of the griddle, cut the sheet of dough into smaller pieces.
Lay the rolled dough on the hot pan and cook for about a min or so, till bubbles form on the surface.
With a pair of tongs, check the bottom side to make sure it is golden brown and flip to grill the other side.
Cook for about a min until golden brown and remove from the pan.
Stack the cooked breads on a paper towel and wrap them so they stay warm.
Assembling the Piadina
Spread the flatbread evenly with goat cheese and carmelized onions. Top it with arugula and diced roasted peppers. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Fold the bread over to secure the filling and serve along the side of chips and a drink.
Every other Chrismas holiday, we go to India. This year we enjoyed Nia’s first Christmas here, in America.
This has been a snowy winter overall and there was a snow storm a couple of days before the holiday, making it a perfect white Christmas for us. And when Nia was done playing outside in the snow, she was more than happy to help daddy decorate the “Kissmas Tee“.
While they were busy having fun, I was planning the dinner menu. My idea of a holiday dinner was something special but at the same time something stress free; something that could be made ahead of time so that I get to relax and enjoy it but definitely something traditional and something memorable.
Here’s a recap of our holiday dinner…..
The Menu
Red Wine – Norton Reserva Malbec 2003
Norton Reserva Malbec 2003 is a smooth, medium-bodied red wine. Slightly fruity and earthy in nature, this rustic wine from Argentina is great for pairing with meat and stands up to the spicy Indian cuisine.
Herb Marinated Lamb Chops
I prepared the lamb chops using my own ‘signature‘ recipe presented earlier in one of my posts. They served to be an elegant first course and were a great accompaniment with the velvety, red Malbec.
Chicken Biryani
(Layered Basmati Rice dish with Chicken and Vegetables)
Biryani is a definite party pleaser! Biryani for Indians is like Lasagna for Italians and is usually on the menu for special occassions. This rich and elaborate preparation is made by layering partially cooked basmati rice and vegetables/lamb/chicken/fish in a sauce that is flavored with exotic spices and . The vessel is then covered and sealed on with dough and everything is cooked together on a low flame for a long time.
I love biryanis – veggie, chicken, mutton, shrimp, all of them! I have made several attempts in the past to make biryani the traditional way using dum cooking method (process of slowly cooking partially cooked food in a tightly sealed vessel for a long time) but have failed time and again  Sometimes the rice and/or meat would be undercooked and then there were some other times when the bottom layer would stick to the bottom of the pot and get badly charred. That would permeate the whole dish with an unpleasing burnt -like taste and smell. Undeterred in my will, I have now figured it all out, by sheer trial and error. The skinny on this is, to fully cook all the different layers seperately (in a single pot!) and assemble them together (in the same pot).
So making my chicken biryani for the holiday dinner was a perfect idea. I took me a little over an hour in the morning of Christmas Eve and all I had to do was to pop it in the oven and finish off just before dinner. That way, by dinner time, the biryani had been sitting for a few hours and all the different flavors mixed and mingled well with each other.
Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. Follow this easy recipe and see for yourself how to deconstruct and reconstruct the biryani into a one-pot delicious concoction!
Serves 4
1 lb chicken legs and thighs (this will be about 2 leg-thigh joint pieces that u will find in a packet at wholefoods)
The Marinade
1 cup yogurt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp Everest Chicken Masala (or garam masala)
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
salt
The Rice
3 cups of basmati rice, wash 2-3 times and soak for about 1/2 hour and drain the water
4.5 cups of water (proportion for this is 1:1.5 rice:water and not 1:2 as usual)
salt
1 tsp oil
1-2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1-2 green cardamoms (elaichi), whole
1-2 cinnamon sticks
The Garnish
1/2 cup oil (canola, corn or vegetable)
1 medium onion, sliced
handful of cashews and raisins
1/4 cup milk
1 pinch saffron strands
ghee (clarified butter)
handful cilantro, finely chopped
1-2 bolied eggs, halved (optional)
The Gravy
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 cup canned tomato sauce (= 1 small 8 oz. can of sauce…NOT PASTE)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tbsp garlic paste)
1 inch ginger, grated (or 1 tbsp ginger paste)
(*I prefer to use the readymade pastes for the marinade and fresh ginger/garlic for the gravy/curry)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin (jeera)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
salt
1 tbsp Everest Biryani Masala (or garam masala + 1-2 cloves, 1-2 cinnamon sticks,1-2 bayleaves, 4-5 peppercorns)
3-4 baby potatoes or 2 medium potatoes, quartered
handful fresh cilantro/coriander, coarsely chopped
Seperate the chicken legs and cut the thighs into smaller pieces. Make slits on them and mix them with all the ingredients for marinade and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight or atleast for 6-8 hours.
Warm milk and soak saffron in it. With a spoon, try to crush the saffron in the milk to give the milk a beautiful yellow color.
Combine all the ingredients for rice and cook the rice seperately in pressure cooker/stove top/microwave or rice cooker.
In the meantime heat the oil in a big non-stick pot (preferably with steel handles. Ultimately you have to put this pot inside the oven) and fry sliced onions for garnishing till brown. Drain on paper towel and set aside. Similarly, fry cashews till light brown and set aside. Lightly fry raisins in the same oil, for a min or so and set aside. Then fry raw potatoes till they get a light brown coating and set aside.
In the same hot oil, add onions, cumin, ginger and garlic and fry till onion is light brown. Add tomato sauce, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, chopped cilantro and biryani masala. Mix well and saute till oil seperates out of the gravy. Add 1/4 cup water and continue cooking till oil seperates again.
Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
Add the fried potatoes and chicken, along with all the marinade, mix well, cover and cook till chicken is almost cooked, but not completely. Stir occassionally. If there’s a lot of liquid in the gravy, cook on medium high till the gravy is reduced.
Layer the rice over the cooking chicken. Sprinkle saffron milk and some ghee over the rice. Top it with brown onions, cilantro, cashews and raisins.
Cover with aluminium foil and finish cooking in the oven for 25-30 mins.
*If you are preparing biryani ahead of time, complete this last step of cooking it in the oven just before serving.
Mix gently and serve hot with the side of cool raita.
Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Raita
(Yogurt-based Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad)
Raita was born to be had with biryani ! This combination, made with cucumber, tomatoes, onions in yogurt, has a super cooling effect after a bite of the hot and spicy biryani. All the veggies are diced and combined with beaten yogurt and tossed with green chillies and cilantro. It is then seasoned with salt and a pinch of sugar. The sugar masks any sourness in the yogurt and the green chillies add a little zing.
Creamy and crunchy, chicken biryani is best enjoyed with this refreshing raita!
Serves 4
1 large or 2 small (Kirby or pickling) cucumbers, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
2 cups beaten yogurt
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped for garnishing
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
salt
1/2 tsp sugar
Toss together diced cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and yogurt. Add green chillies and fresh cilantro, season with salt and sugar and serve chilled.
*Have some carrots in your refrigerator? Go ahead and add shredded carrots to the raita!
Cake Pudding
(Cake Pudding with Instant Coffee and Walnuts)
Desserts usually get sidelined when I am cooking an elaborate meal. This time, however, I decided to take on the home stretch – my very own cake pudding.
This is a no-stress, no-bake cake pudding that can be whipped up in a matter of few minutes! It is my mom’s ‘signature’ recipe. All she does is pours cold coffee (instant coffee in cold milk) over crumbled cake and garnishes it with walnuts and heavy cream. After sitting in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, the cake soaks up all the coffee and turns into a soft, fluffy, creamy, bitter-sweet pudding. I have added my own twist to my mom’s original recipe by introducing chocolate and alcohol into the mix.
Simple and easy, this rustic pudding is my all time favorite homemade dessert!
Serves 4
The Cake
2 store-bought or home-made plain pound cakes (or any other sponge or vanilla flavored cake).
If you are in the mood of baking , make your favorite vanilla/sponge/pound cake or even a box of your favorite plain cake mix. Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes before proceeding.
Pudding Filling
3 cups cold milk (your choice of whole/reduced/low fat/fat free)
6 tbsp instant coffee powder, like Nescafe
½ cup dark rum (Bacardi/ Old Monk)
1-1½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy/light whipping cream
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish
3.5 oz (100 g) dark chocolate like Ghirardelli Espresso Escape
Break the cakes into small pieces/crumbs by hand into a large bowl.
Add a little water to the instant coffee and mix it to form a thick paste. Add the paste to the cold milk along with the splash of dark rum and mix well making sure there are no coffee lumps in the milk. Pour the mixture over the cake crumbs into the large bowl. Add chopped walnuts and mix gently so that the cake is evenly moistened with the coffee-milk mixture and the walnuts are evenly spread throughout the mixture.
Lay the moist coffee-cake mixture into a deep glass dish or triffle glass bowl.
In another bowl, beat the cream with a hand mixer or electric whisk. When it starts to thicken, add the vanilla extract and sugar and continue to beat until firm, about 5 mins on high speed setting. Spread the whipped cream on top of the cake.
With a vegetable peeler, peel the chocolate bar to create chocolate shavings. Decorate the pudding with a generous layer of chocolate shavings on top.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Everyday Maharashtrian food is simple, quick, healthy and very flavorful. Poli or chapati (wheat bread), bhaji (vegetable), koshimbir (salad), bhaat (rice) and amti or varan (legumes/lentil stews) is pretty much on the daily menu in every home. Primarily vegetarian, with lots of fresh ingredients, minimum usage of oil, mild or sometimes no spices added and with very few seasonings, Maharashtrian food is high in nutrition value and brings out the true flavors of the of the ingredients used.
But this everyday food doesn’t always have to be humble and modest, right? So I thought of dressing this ordinary food up a little and giving it a new look and feel! I preserved the same high nutrition value and retained the true flavors of the food using some new techniques and making some cosmetic changes.
Take a sneak peek inside my makeover studio! Read on…..
Gajar-Kakdi Koshimbir
(Carrot-Cucumber Salad/Raita)
Growing up, we have always had kakdichi koshimbir (cucumber salad/raita) in some form or the other at least once a week. My mom made it several different ways: with yogurt or with lemon juice, may be with some peanut powder or sometimes with some other veggie like carrot, tomato, onion, etc. My favorite used to be the citrusy and crunchy one with lemon juice and peanut powder. This was the first candidate for my “Extreme Makeover” challenge!
The usual way of making this refreshing koshimbir is to dice or shredded the cucumbers and the carrots but I shaved the two into thin long strips and they got a glamorous new look! The light green cucumber and the deep orange carrot ribbons beautifully compliment each other in color, texture and flavor. The lemon juice adds a citrusy zing, the peanut powder gives it a little crunch and thinly sliced green chillies make it a hot and yummy
Without further ado, presenting the all-new Gajar-Kakdi Koshimbir……
Serves 2
 2 pickling cucumbers
(I wouldn’t recommend the large slicing cucumbers for this salad)
2 carrots
1 small green chilli, micro sliced
3-4 cilantro sprigs, leaves finely chopped
2 tbsp, roasted peanut powder
salt
1 pinch sugar
1/2 lemon, juiced
Peel the cucumber skin and then continue peeling it on all sides till you reach the seeded part. Discard the seeded part or snack on it with a little salt and pepper. Similarly, peel the carrot skin and continute peeling it into thin shavings till you reach the core part and cannot feel further. (Peeler with a lateral blade might be easier than the one with a longitudinal blade)
In a bowl, combine the cucumber and carrot shavings with the green chilli slices, cilantro, peanut powder, salt, sugar and drizzle the lemon juice on it. Mix well and serve refreshingly chilled.
Flower-Batata Bhaji
(Cauliflower & Potato Roast / Subzi)
This was another regular on our table back home that was a winner especially amongst us kids. Cauliflower and potato are a classic combination for making a stir-fry kinda bhaji or subzi. When preparing this concoction stove top in a frying pan or kadhai with bare minimum spices and seasoning, the potato finishes cooking a bit faster than the cauliflower. So while the potato gets a little mushy, the cauliflower is just al dente. This makes it a great stir fried accompaniment for the poli or chapati.
How did I give this unpretentious and delicious recipe a brand new makeover? Instead of stir frying the two vegetables, I roasted them. I tossed the two with raw tadka (made without heating the oil) and then left them alone in the hot oven for sometime. Roasting the cauliflower at high temperatures makes it sweeter and even more crunchier and roasting the potatoes at high heat makes them crisp on outside and tender on the inside. The golden brown color on the surface of the vegetables due to roasting jazzed up the overall look.
With its appealing new look and an appetizing new flavor, this madeover bhaji is a winner of all time!
Serves 2
1/2 large cauliflower, broken into medium sized florets (about 3 cups)
3 small red potatoes, cut up into 1 inch cubes
2-3 tbsp oil (EVOO, canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 – 1 tsp red chilli powder (for desired level of heat and spice)
salt
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped
Preheat oven to 425 deg F (220 deg C).
Whisk together the oil, turmeric, cumin seeds, red chilli powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
Add the cauliflower florets and the potato cubes and toss well so that they are evenly coated with the oil mixture.
Place the tossed vegetables in a aluminium foil lined baking dish (makes it easy to clean!) and roast in the pre-heated oven until lightly golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Varan
(Split Pigeon Peas /Toor Daal)
Varan Bhaat is particularly very near and dear to a Maharashtrian. So is it for me!
Varan is Toor Daal in it’s simplest form. (Read PuSiVa‘s post on it). Typically, varan is made by pressure cooking toor daal with a pinch of turmeric and hing(asafoetida). When cooked, the daal mashed up and mixed well to a pulp-like consistency, seasoned with salt and a tiny bit of sugar or even jaggery (that’s typical Maharashtrian cooking!) and is simmered over the stove. When ready it is ladled over steaming grainy rice, topped with a dollop of ghee (clarified butter) and sprinkled with some lemon juice.
Some other ways I love to have varan is by putting ghee and dipping bites of poli in it or simply slurping it up as a soup. However I have it, this simple concoction tastes like home to me, anytime! (Here’s how Nupur has her “Waran Bhaat“ )
For the makeover challenge, I put an exciting spin on the classic recipe. I cooked the toor daal as usual and then in the simmering stage, I poured over a little hot chilli – garlic infused oil (i.e. tadka with chilli and garlic). The hot green chillies added a bright color along with a spicy kick and the garlic gave it a wonderful aroma.
With a makeover, the varan got a fabulous new look, but it is still the same old comforting food, at heart!
Serves 2
1/2 cup toor daal
1½ cups water (See ratios and proportions)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 pinch asofoetida (hing)
1 tsp sugar/jaggery
1-2 tbsp oil (canola, sunflower, corn, vegetable) or ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/mori)
1-2 small green chillies
2 medium garlic cloves, smashed
salt
fresh cilantro/coriander (dhania), finely chopped
Wash and drain the toor daal in a stainless steel pressure cooker vessel. Add the water, turmeric, asofoetida, salt and place it inside the pressure cooker. Cover the lid and bring the cooker to a full pressure, letting it whistle for 3-4 times, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 – 15 mins. Toor daal needs more cooking time as its a little tougher as compared to other daals.
When the cooker cools down, remove the vessel and mash the cooked daal using the back of the ladle or a whisk to a pulp-like consistency. Transfer it to a medium sized pot, add some water if needed and season it with salt and sugar or jaggery. Simmer for 10 – 15 mins.
While the daal is simmering, heat the oil/ghee in a small frying pan. Add mustard seeds along with the green chillies and smashed garlic cloves. When the seeds splutter and the chillies and garlic are slightly fried (just about a min or so), remove from heat and pour over the simmering daal. Stir and continue to simmer.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot.
This summer, as the markets started filling up with all the wonderful veggies, fruits and herbs, I brought home for the very first time a pot (yes! they actually sell the herbs directly in the pots these days, it’s taking “freshness” to the next level, I must say) of leafy, aromatic, vibrant green Basil.
I have seen Giada De Laurentis on TV, going crazy for this one particular herb. She uses it practically in all of her recipes, savory and sweet too! I have had basil in several concoctions before, but never really handled it myself. Talking of basil, what’s the first thing that jumps right at you? For me, it’s the good ol’ pesto! Naturally, that was my first experiment with it.
I followed the renowned chef’s recipe step-by-step.
“
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup (about) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper, to taste.
”
The result was an intensely aromatic and very flavorful chutney-like concoction! I decided to play around with it……
Italian Chutney Sandwich
Yes, that’s what I made first with the pesto, which looked and felt just like our very own desi coriander-coconut chutney. Smothered with generous amounts of pesto and stuffed with grilled chicken and crunchy grilled vegetables, this hearty sandwich is now a lunchtime favorite!
Serves 2
4 individual ciabatta/olive rolls or 1 large loaf of ciabatta
basil pesto
2 portobello mushrooms
1 zucchini, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices
1 small Japanese eggplant or 1/2 regular medium eggplant, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-3 tbsp EVOO (Rachel Ray’s abbreviation for Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
salt
fresh ground black pepper
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the oil and sprinkle salt & pepper over the chicken breasts, eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms. One after another, grill the chicken breasts, eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms until they are tender and grill marks appear. Cool completely.
Slice the ciabatta bread in half and spread both sides with pesto. On the bottom slice, stack the grilled veggies and chicken breast pieces. Sprinkle some more fresh ground black pepper and place the top half of the ciabatta.
Alternatively, you can use any of your other favorite vegies, fresh mozeralla cheese slices, prosciutto slices, etc. and have your sandwich your way. Don’t forget the key ingredient, Pesto!
Primavera Pizza
In summer, the vegetables are definitely more flavorful than the rest of the year. With all the fresh vegetables that are suddenly available, you see a lot of “primavera” around you in restaurants, cafes, etc. Pasta Primavera is the most common dish made by tossing all the vegetables with pasta. But another dish that is equally popular is the Primavera Pizza. Smothered with the pesto as a base sauce, loaded with summer veggies, topped with oooey gooey cheese and a little meat factor (the hubby has to have it in every meal!), every slice is a triangle of paradise!
Serves 2
15oz. store-bought whole wheat pizza dough
basil pesto
1 portobello mushrooms
1 zucchini, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices
1 small Japanese eggplant or 1/2 regular medium eggplant, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 small red onion, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced
2 jarred roasted red peppers
2-3 tbsp EVOO (Rachel Ray’s abbreviation for Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup (1/2 packet) Sargento Reduced Fat Mozeralla shredded cheese
Grill the chicken and vegetables as in the above recipe and cut into thin, long slices.
Preheat oven to 425 deg F.
Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2-inch thick and transfer it to a pizza or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the pesto, top it with the chicken, onion and green pepper on one half of the pizza and roeasted vegetables on the other half and finally sprinkle the cheese.
 
Bake on the bottom rack for about 18 – 20 minutes till the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.
Take it out of the oven and season with black pepper. Cut it into slices and serve hot with some ice cold beer.
*Recommended Heineken Premium Light beer
Pesto, Pasta & Peas
Pasta dinners are the quickest and the easiest and pesto makes a perfect no-cooking sauce. I toss hot cooked fetuccini in the pesto and throw in some green peas. The peas look like little beads entagled in the fetuccini ribbons, drenched in the pesto sauce. This elegant pasta dish is not only a treat for your eyes but also for your tastebuds!
Serves 2
1/2 pound (i.e. 1/2 packet) of fetuccini ( or other types like rotini, bow ties, fusilli etc that allow the pesto to get in and coat well)
1/4 cup frozen green peas, defrosted
3-4 tbsp basil pesto
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (tender but still firm to the bite), stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water to add to the pasta later, if needed.
In a mixing bowl, add the hot pasta and the peas to the pesto and toss well to coat evenly. Add the required quantity of reserved liquid for desired moisture level. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Serve warm with garlic bread or on a side of vegetables, meat or fish.
Summer Vegetables Au Pistou
So, what else did I do with the pesto, still holding it’s wholesome goodness and sitting in the refrigerator for over 2 weeks? Eureka! I had some zucchini, and red pepper also hanging in the refrigerator along with the pesto. I just sautéed the vegetables in the pesto and look what I got?!
Serves 2
1 zucchini, cut into quarter slices
1/2 red pepper, cut into thin strips
2-3 tbsp basil pesto
salt
freshly ground black pepper
In a small frying pan or skillet on medium heat, warm the pesto and add the vegetables. Sauté for 3-4 minutes and season with some salt and pepper. Serve hot as a side dish with pasta, meats or fish or make an elegant bruschetta topping!
You may add other vegetables like asparagus, green beans, summer squash or yellow onions. Chicken tenderloins or shrimps would definitely kick it up a notch!
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