Indian Ratatouille

                                                         Ratatouille, The Indian Way

The only reason, I decided to try out this recipe is it's glorious colours.  I was browsing on Pinterest and came across this attractive photograph of the finished dish.  It looked so good that I had to make it.  However, instead of the tomato puree and paste, I decided to use curds (yoghurt) instead.  The trick is to get vegetables of similar size, so that the baking time ensures perfect cooking.  Drench it with curds and you have an appetising main or side dish- as you discover for yourself.

The Recipe:

1 zucchini; 1 purple or green brinjal; 3 medium size tomatoes.  Make sure the vegetables are the same size.
1 cup home made curds; 1 large clove garlic, smashed; salt to taste; 1 green chilli, minced; herbs of your choice; spring onions; 1/4 cup olive oil.

Slice the zucchini, tomatoes and brinjal into thick rounds after washing and drying them.  Soak the brinjal rounds in salted water ( enough to cover) for 10 minutes to remove the bitterness and avoid discolouration.  Drain and keep ready for use.  Mix the olive oil and salt together.  Grease an ovenproof dish and arrange the zucchini, tomatoes and brinjals in rows, side by side.  Pour the olive oil over the vegetables and Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes at 200 Celcius or until tender. Remove from oven and let it stand for 10 minutes.  In the meanwhile, whisk the curds and smashed garlic together until smooth, adding salt to taste.  Pour it over the baked vegetables.  Scatter the herbs, spring onions and minced chilli over the cuds.  Serve as a main dish or with the rest of the meal.

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Indian Rice Pudding

Kheer  and Payasa

This is one recipe that I wanted to blog about for years, but somehow never got down to it. Kheer or Payasa/Payasam as it is called in the South of India is a rice pudding from the cuisine of the Indian Subcontinent, made by boiling rice, broken wheat, tapioca, or vermicelli with milk and sugar; it is flavoured with cardamom and other spices, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios or almonds.

This is a versatile preparation and can be made in a myriad of ways.  Most households have their own recipe and it is a very popular dessert as it is so easy to make and the ingredients required would be available anytime in all kitchens.  As children we especially loved going for weddings knowing that we could eat unlimited amounts of this mouth watering concoction.

The Recipe:

1/8 cup basmathi rice, washed and drained; 1 cup water; 2 cups low fat milk; ½ cup milk powder; 2 tbsp. chopped nuts; 2 tbsp. almond meal; 2 tbsp. raisins; 2 cloves and a 1 inch stick of cinnamon; sugar to taste; a pinch of salt and a few strands of saffron dissolved in 2 tbsp. warm water;; a few drops of rose essence- optional.

Pressure cook the rice in 1 cup water for 3 minutes.  Cool and open the cooker and transfer the contents to a large nonstick pan.  Mix the milk and milk powder together and add with the rest of the ingredients except the saffron to the rice.  Bring to the boil and lower flame, stirring now and then to prevent sticking at the bottom.  When the mixture is thick enough add the saffron mixed with water and remove from heat.  Serve hot or cold garnished with nuts.

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Mangalorean Coconut Rice

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Brinjal in Spiced Yoghurt

Fried Brinjal Rings in Spiced Curds

As children, none of us liked brinjal or aubergine as it is called in the Western world.  No matter that my Mum did her best to entice us with various recipes.  None suited us and in fact it was our pet hate.  The sight of it was enough to send us into the doldrums.  My children are the same.  It is only now as an adult that I appreciate the humble brinjal.  This is a recipe from my Mum and goes well with rice as a side dish or even with any kind of spiced rice.

The Recipe:

1 large brinjal, sliced into 5 rounds ( I used the round purple variety; 250 ml curds; salt; 1 tsp chilli powder; 1/4 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tbsp vinegar; salt to taste; oil for shallow frying.

1 clove garlic, smashed; coriander leaves for garnish- optional.

Soak the brinjal in salted water for 15 minutes. ( Add enough of water to cover the brinjal with 1 tsp salt).    Drain and marinade with the chilli powder, turmeric, salt to taste and vinegar for 15 minutes.  Heat oil in a nonstick pan to medium heat and gently fry the brinjal slices till brown on both sides.  Drain on kitchen paper.

After all the slices are fried, add the garlic to the residue in the pan and gently stir fry for a minute.  Scrape this mixture into the curds (yoghurt), add salt to taste and beat with a fork until smooth.  Arrange the brinjal in a shallow dish and pour the beaten, spiced curds over.  Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with the rest of the meal.  This is a very simple dish that goes extremely well with biriyani, pulav, spiced rices and white rice.

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Grilled Indian Butter Chicken

                                      My Butter Chicken

This is a recipe that I have had for decades and sparingly made because I reserved it for very special occasions.  I felt guilty cooking such rich food and adding to our daily calorie count.  However, after we came to Malaysia, I started grilling meat instead of frying it and experimented with all my recipes until I came up with delicious alternatives.  This is one such and a joy to behold and cook.  The rich, vibrant colour of the gravy makes it a knockout every single time.

The Recipe:

500gms boneless chicken cubes, washed and drained.

Grind  1 tsp chilli powder; 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste; 2 cloves; 2 cardamom pods; 1/2 tsp methi seeds, roasted;  1 tsp vinegar or to taste; salt to taste; juice of 1 lime; 1/2 cup curds. Marinade overnight.

For the Gravy:  500gms tomato puree - tinned or fresh; 50 gms cashew nuts, roasted and powdered; 1/4 tsp pepper powder, freshly crushed; 1/4 tsp chilli powder; 1 tsp brown sugar or more to taste; 1 tbsp butter; 1/2 cup water to mix with the tomato puree.

For the Garnish:  2 tbsp milk powder mixed with 2 tbsp water- should be a thick, pouring consistency; coriander leaves, chopped.

Next day  grill the chicken  in a preheated oven at 250 Celsius for 5 to 7 minutes both sides.  The first side takes longer, so watch the chicken carefully.  When done cover and keep hot.

In the meanwhile make the sauce.  Mix the tomato puree with the water and keep ready for use.  Heat a deep nonstick pan and heat the butter on a medium flame until it melts.  Lower the flame, add the cashew nut powder and stir fry golden brown.  You have to be very quick as the cashew can burn easily.  Pour in the tomato puree, add the salt, chilli powder, pepper powder, sugar and taste to adjust the flavour.   Increase the heat, keep stirring until the gravy is thick and dark red.   Add the chicken, bring to the boil and  remove from the fire.  Transfer to serving dish.  Just before serving garnish with the milk powder  and coriander leaves.  Serve hot with Jeera Rice or any Indian Bread.

NB:  I use fresh, ripe tomatoes for the puree.   Just grind it together and use.

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Spicy Fish Vindaloo

Pomfret Vindaloo

This is a recipe I got from my Mum's collection of recipes, painstakingly written down  when she went for cookery classes soon after her graduation.  I was frantically copying every thing down as we were leaving Bangalore for Malaysia.  Soon after I was going through my recipe book and came across this one.  The best joke is that when I made it for my Mum she said, " this is a nice .  Could you give me the recipe?!!!"  That being said, let me get on with the recipe.

The Recipe:

1, medium sized pomfret, sliced, washed and drained; 3 tbsp oil; a few coriander leaves; 1/2 a medium sized onion, sliced; salt to taste.

 Grind to a smooth paste:  1 tsp chilli powder; 1/4 tsp haldi; 2 pods cardamom, seeds only; 6 flakes garlic; 1 tsp jeera seeds;  3 tsp vinegar.        

Heat the oil in  a shallow non stick pan and fry the coriander leaves and sliced onion for a few minutes until onion is glazed.  Lower flame and fry the masala (ground paste) until thick.  Add 1 cup water, the sliced fish and salt to taste.  Cover and cook on a medium low flame till done.  This goes well with white rice and is one of the tastiest curries I have cooked.

Whole Grilled Baby Salmon

Spicy Grilled Baby Salmon

Last week, while shopping for groceries at the supermarket I cam across whole baby salmon for a very reasonable rate.  So I decided to take the plunge and carefully selected one that looked good.  I have numerous recipes that I have been saving for a rainy day and I found one that I wanted to try.  Grilling salmon is very easy.  Since it is an oily fish, all you have to do is marinade it overnight and transfer it to the grill or oven the next day.  The result was delectable and Nehru & I finished it all by ourselves.

The Recipe:

1 whole baby salmon, about 600 gms, scaled, gutted and washed with salt.  Retain tail and side fins.

For the Marinade:  1tsp chilli powder; 1/2 inch piece ginger, minced; 1 tsp garam masala powder; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tsp coriander powder; 1/2 tsp jeera powder; 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper powder; salt to taste and 1 dsp olive oil.  Grind to a coarse paste and rub all over and inside the salmon.  Marinade in the refrigerator overnight.  Next day, bring the salmon to room temperature before grilling it.  Discard the watery part of the marinade.  Line an oven tray with foil and preheat oven at 250 C (grill setting).  Wrap salmon in foil or banana leaves (this makes it easier to turn the salmon over) and grill 10 minutes each side.  Open the foil and return salmon to the oven and grill top again for 5 minutes till brown.  Serve with green salad and warm garlic bread. A must try for busy days when there's simply  too much to do.

NB:  Once the salmon is grilled, you can peel off the skin before browning the flesh.  I left it on and peeled it off while eating.

Twenty First Birthday Bash Menu

 Birthday Girl's Menu

Any event is an excuse for good food and a twenty first birthday is certainly the time for special, delicious food.  I've been waiting for years to celebrate this day.  And we certainly outdid ourselves, birthday girl included.  I took out my various cookery books and went through various recipes and asked Ranita for her favourite foods.  Last week we sat down to celebrate and thank God for all the blessings in our lives.

The Recipes:

Sunshine Birthday Salad:   2 carrots grated; 1 large apple, grated; 2 tbsp raisins, chopped; 1/4 cup home made curds or yoghurt; 1/8 cup thousand island dressing; 1/2 tsp grated ginger; 1 spring onion, chopped; salt and pepper to taste.

Mix all ingredients together and taste for seasoning.  Garnish with love and affection and serve.

Asha's Birthday Salad:  2 carrots, grated; 2 oranges, peeled, pith and seeds removed; a few onion stalks, chopped; 1/2 tsp grated tender ginger; 1/4 cup curds or yoghurt; 2 tbsp tomato sauce; salt and pepper to taste.

Mix together and taste for seasoning.  Serve with the anticipation of enjoying a good meal with more to come.  This Recipe is from my sister Asha who is reknowned for her salads.

Anu's Yoghurt Chicken:  My sister Anu is a fabulous cook and this recipe is from her.

1 kg chicken, jointed and skin removed; 2 cups thick curds; salt and pepper to taste; juice of 1 large lemon; 2 tbsp grated garlic.

Wash and drain chicken.  Marinade overnight in the above ingredients.  Next day, bring the chicken to room temperature and  bake in preheated oven at 250 degrees Centigrade for 60 minutes until chicken is brown on top.  Test with a skewer for doneness.  Garnish with tomato and a few cooked peas and serve with Minty Rice, Sunshine Salad and Milky Way Chicken & Dry Fruits.

Milky Way Chicken (Baked Birthday Chicken With Dry Fruits & Spices:

1kg chicken, skinned, jointed, washed and drained; 2 tbsp masala powder (I use my own and this is a guarded secret), so use whatever you like and you will get a gourmet's delight); salt to taste; 1 onion sliced fine; 2 tbsp grated ginger and garlic; 6 dried Apricots, chopped, de seed and  reserve kernels for garnishing; 2 tbsp raisins, chopped; 2 tbsp almonds, sliced; 500 ml milk or cream; 2 large tomatoes, chopped;

Seasoning;  2 tbsp oil; 1 onion sliced fine and 1 tsp garam masala to taste.

Mix the milk or cream, masala powder, ginger, garlic, salt and onions and tomatoes together.  Marinade the chicken in this mixture overnight.  Next day  fry the onions and dried fruits until onions are glazed.  Keep half aside for the garnishing.  Add the chicken and lower flame, cover and cook until chicken is ready and coated with the thick sauce, turning every 10 minutes.  Add the garam masala, mix well, transfer to serving dish, garnish with the dried fruits and apricot kernels and serve hot.

There is no need to use any water with this recipe which I got from a cook book I was gifted with two decades ago.  However I have changed it to suit our family tastes.  Experiment and see what you can come up with.

Minty Rice:

1 large bunch of mint leaves, washed and chopped- discard the stalks; 2 cups basmathi rice, washed and drained; 1 large onion sliced; 2 tbsp grated ginger and garlic; salt to taste; a few whole almonds for garnishing; 2tbsp olive oil; 4 cups hot water.

Heat oil in nonstick pan and stir fry the onions, ginger garlic and min leaves until glazed.  Add the rice and stir fry until all the grains are coated.  This takes about 2 minutes.  Transfer to electric rice cooker, add salt to taste and 4 cups hot water. Cook till done.  Serve hot garnished with the whole almonds.

Black Forest Cake:

I first made this cake for my Mum in law's birthday three decades ago.  It was a great hit and it has remained a family favourite ever since.  Recipe from my sister Asha Elisha although I have changed the quantities to suit my baking pans and oven.

150 gms self raising flour; 25 gm dark cocoa; 1 level  tsp baking powder; 175 gms butter at room temperature; 175 gms caster sugar; 2 tbsp rum or whisky ( I used whisky); 3 eggs beaten in a large bowl seperately.

For The Layers:  1 large tin cherries- it could be 400 or 500 gms; 2 tbsp whisky; 300 ml thick whipping cream; 50 gms milk chocolate, grated; sugar to taste.

Grease and line 2x 8" sandwich tins.  Preheat oven to 180 Centigrade.

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and beat with electric cake beater until smmoth, pale and fluffy.  Divide the mixture between the two tins, using a metal spoon.  Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 or 25 minutes or until skewer inserted in centre comes out clean.  Cool overnight.  Next day, unmould cake number 1 on to a round 10 " cake board.  Make a few holes in the ake with a fork.  Drain the cherries, reserving about 4 tbsp of the liquid per cake.  Mix this with the whisky and spoon over the entire cake. Keep the beater and bowl  in the refrigerator until cold.   Whip the cream  and sugar with the beater until thick.  Divide into half and neatly spread one half over the first cake.  Divide the grated chocolate into two portions and sprinkle one half over the whipped cream.  Divide cherries into two lots and arrange one half on the grated chocolate.  Place the second cake on top of the first and repeat.  Spread the cream over the sides and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

NB:  Can make a four layered cake like I did.  After all this is a special occasion.  Just double the quantity used above.

Although this cake takes some time to make, it is one worthy of a grand occasion and served with the above a meal fit for a Queen- our Queen - Ranita Isaac.  Happy 21st Birthday and May Life be very good to you.  Cheers!

Indian Christmas Pudding

Princess Pudding Recipe From Jayanthi Pichamuthu

Christmas is the time for celebrating the birth of a baby boy 2000 years ago in Bethlehem.  It is a time for bonding with family and friends, exchanging gifts, goodwill and fellowship with all.  As always in India any and every festival is an occasion for pound parties, pot luck, get togethers, carol singing and enjoying food together.  Every household will be in a flutter planning for various events and using the choicest of ingredients.  We make vast quantities of goodies like fruit cake, kal kals, ladoos, diamond cuts, macaroons, chakkulis, mixture, savoury nuts and what not to be distributed to family, friends and neighbours.  Dinners are spectacular with every expert cook serving the best.  This is a phenomenal recipe that I got from my niece.  It is so simple, yet extravagant and the best part is that it can be made effortlessly in vast quantities for the perfect Christmas get together.  Surpass yourself with this unexpected Indian Christmas Pudding.

The Recipe:

1 1/2 litres full cream milk; 6 slices white bread, crusts removed- blend into fine breadcrumbs; 250 ml tin of condensed milk or to taste ;  100 ml thick cream; 1/2 cup almond meal; a few drops rose essence- optional.

Boil milk on medium flame till thick.  This takes about 10 minutes.  Lower flame and add the bread and condensed milk, stirring constantly..  When it is thickened enough (about 5 minutes) stir in the almonds gently and ensure there are no lumps.  Finally stir in the cream and the essence.  Remove from flame and cool.  Refrigerate overnight.  Serve chilled garnished with (or without) raisins, nuts or anything you fancy.  This is a rich and creamy dessert that you can serve as thick or as thin as you like.

NB:  I used low fat milk. 

Jack (Fruit) Of All Trades

Tender Jackfruit

As a child, whenever my Mother cooked vegetables like jack fruit, pumpkin, ladies finger, greens and what not, we turned our noses up and surreptitiously dumped our portions in the dustbin. Last week my brother bought some tender jack fruits and requested my Mum to cook it.    I was aghast!  Memories of my childhood bete noire surfaced and I wrinkled my nose in disgust.  I liked the pickle but the vegetable was a different matter.  To cut a long story short, I liked it and am sharing the recipe today.


The Recipe:

1 small tender jack fruit, cleaned and chopped (this is an art; rub oil all over your fingers before you even attempt to cut it); 1/4 coconut, grated; 1 tsp mustard; 1 large onion, sliced fine; 3 dried red chillies broken; 1/2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds) powder; a few sprigs curry leaves; salt to taste a pinch of haldi (turmeric); a pinch of mustard and 2 tbsp oil for stir frying.

Grind the coconut and mustard together.  Keep aside till required.  Heat the oil in a non stick pan and add the mustard seeds.  When they crackle add the curry leaves and broken red chillies.  Stir fry a minute.  Now add the sliced onions, lower flame and cook till golden brown.  Add the ground coconut and fry for a few minutes till a delectable aroma arises.  Lastly add the turmeric, jeera powder and the tender jack, stir fry a minute, lower flame and cover and cook for 5 minutes.  Add water if required.  Serve hot with rice or chappathis.