Pasta Salad

Salad In A Glass

A few weeks ago, I was asked to contribute a vegetable salad for a gathering of about 30 people.  One of my Breakfast Shake friends suggested a Pasta Salad and was kind enough to give me a basic recipe recommending I use whatever I had in the kitchen.  This then is my culinary masterpiece that was well received and very much appreciated.  

The Recipe :

3 cups mixed vegetables -- I used grated carrots, boiled peas, shredded cabbage and cherry tomatoes; 3 cups mixed fruits like green apple, red apple (cubed), pineapple cubes and grapes, halved; 2 cups of cooked pasta, I used two different types; 1 cup curds; 1/2 cup tomato sauce; 1/2 cup dressing of your choice, I used eggless cole slaw dressing; honey, salt and pepper to taste.

Beat the curds, tomato sauce and dressing to a smooth consistency.  Add the vegetables, fruits and pasta and gently mix together.  Add pepper, salt & honey to taste.  Refrigerate and serve in a glass.  Can be a meal in itself.  Tastes good and looks good.  A great dish for a party!

Capsicum Rings With Cottage Cheese And Egg

Weekend Tales

Some years ago, soon after we moved to Kuala Lumpur our bathroom drain got clogged.  There was water everywhere and so I opened the drain to see what I could do about it.  Guess what I found?  Pieces and pieces of golden paneer arranged neatly in a row.  Talk about being creative, that was Ranita then.  Today, paneer is a much loved item and we all enjoy it whenever we can.

The Recipe

250 gms paneer crumbled; 1/2 tsp chilli powder; 1 tsp somph, powdered; 2 tbsp curds; 1 tbsp gram flour; salt to taste;     2 eggs; 1 medium green capsicum;salt & pepper to taste; tomato sauce for topping; some oil for frying.

Marinade the paneer in the chilli powder, somph, curds, gram flour and salt for  30 minutes.

Cut the ends of  the capsicum and slice the remaining into three thick rings.  Chop the sides and keep for use later.  Beat the eggs with pepper & salt lightly.  Heat a non stick pan, add 1 tbsp oil and when hot put the capsicum rings in and fry gently one side for 2 minutes only. The rings should be firm and crunchy.  Flip over and pour the beaten egg into each of the rings until nearly full.  Cover and cook on medium heat until egg has set.  Gently flip over and brown the egg for a minute or two.  Transfer to plate and keep hot.

Next, add 1 tbsp oil to pan and gently stir fry the paneer till golden brown.  Add the chopped capsicum and fry for a couple of minutes.  Transfer to serving plate.  Arrange the capsicum rings on top and dot with tomato sauce.  Serve with Naan or rice.  It's your call.  Simple and satisfying and leaves you wanting for more!

P.S. Thanks to Elizabeth  Dhanaraj for the luscious Paneer Recipe.

Green Apple Curry

UNEXPECTED DELIGHT 

Some months ago we were presented with a whole basket of lovely green apples.  They were sour and had a tang to it.  So I made them into salads, cakes, tarts and what not.  One recipe I found was quite unusual and it caught my fancy.  Made it and the rest is history.  Try out this lip smacking Green Apple Curry and surprise your friends and family.

The Recipe:

4 medium green apples cored and cubed, soak in water with a teaspoon of salt to prevent it from becoming brown; 1 large onion, sliced; 3 flakes garlic, minced; 1 inch piece ginger, minced; 1 dsp curry powder of your choice; 1 tbsp vinegar; mustard and curry leaves for seasoning; 2 dsp olive oil; 1 large tomato, diced; 1/2 tsp sugar to taste. 

Heat oil and add the mustard seeds.  When they crackle add the curry leaves, onions, ginger and garlic.  Stir fry till onions become golden brown on a medium fire.  Add the tomatoes and cook till mushy.  Now add the  curry powder, salt to taste, vinegar and the sugar .  Mix well, add the apples, 1/4 cup water and cover and cook for 5 minutes or until apples are soft but still retaining their shape. Taste and add more sugar if required.  It should be spicy, sweet and sour all at the same time.  If you have achieved that you a cook to reckon with.  Serve hot with curd rice or any Indian bread.  

Mashed Potato Surprise

An Artistic Endeavour

Edible art was a big item on our daily menu when the girls were growing up.  We have eaten a variety of different shaped chappathis, pooris, cakes, biscuits, salads and more.  Nowadays Edible Art serves to decorate our table on special occasions or weekends and is truly a fantastic way to get children to eat everthing. Today's recipe is the transformation of the simple mashed potato into a centrepiece worth talking about.

The Recipe:

2 large potatoes, boiled and mashed to a smooth consistency; 1 large carrot, boiled and mashed; 2 tbsp milk; 1 tbsp butter; salt & pepper to taste; 1 medium onion, chopped and 1 tsp jeera (cumin)seeds for seasoning; 1 tbsp oil; 20 to 24 multi grain chips or whatever chips you have at hand.

Mix the mashed potat, carrot, salt pepper, butter and milk to a desirable consistency.  For a dip add more milk.  Heat the oil in a nonstick pan and throw in the jeera seeds. When they sputter add the chopped onion and cook on a low fire until glazed.  Add to the mashed potato and mix well.  Turn onto serving plate.  Arrange the chips all aroind so that the entire presentation looks like a large flower.  Serve immediately with Indian breads or eat plain in a bowl as an appetizer.  Goes well with everything and kids just love it with chips.

Tantalising Tiramisu

Easy  Biscuit Pudding

Something went wrong with my computer and was unable to access my blog.  So have not posted the recipes I intended for October.  Am now using Ranita's laptop.  What a relief to be able to do one of my favourite weekly activities.  This recipe is absolutely wonderful and a knock out for parties when you have a lot to do. It was sms'd by a friend a while ago and I saved it for a very special occasion.  Jayanthi Dhanaraj & Kenneth Pichamuthu, this one is for you.

The Recipe

One large beautiful bowl; 17 Marie Biscuits; 250 gms cream cheese; 250 gms whipped cream; caster sugar to taste; 2 dsp Nescafe dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water with 2 tsp sugar added to it; whole almonds for garnish.

Beat the whipped cream, cream cheese and sugar (to taste) together.  Keep aside.  Dip 6 of the biscuits in the Nescafe and place in a layer at the bottom of the bowl.  Pour half of the beaten mixture over and repeat with 6 more biscuits making two layers.  Top with remaining biscuits and garnish with almonds. Drizzle remaining Nescafe over the top.  Keep in refrigerator to set overnight.  Can have as many layers as desired.

Tastes wonderful and looks good too.

International Flavour

Algerian Chick Peas With Ladies Finger

No matter where you may go or what you eat, it all boils down to food.  People all over the world pretty much eat the same thing dressed up in different ways. And called by different names.  And seasoned with a variety of spices peculiar to the region.  Food is food, no matter what it is called.  Whether we like it or not, we are all  bound together by virtue of the food we eat.  Makes one really sit down and think.  One day while browsing through an Algerian cookbook, I came across familiar ingredients and was very excited because my Mum used to make this regularly for us every Monday with pooris.  The additional ingredient was a vegetable we hated as kids but ate without complaining anyway.  The combination was deadly and I now make it on a regular basis.  Bring out the chef in you with this international flavour of chick peas, ladies finger and spices of your choice, adapted by me to suit our taste buds!

The Recipe

250 gms chick peas, washed and soaked in water over night; 100 gms ladies finger, washed & dried, topped & tailed and cut into 3 pieces each; 1 tbsp home made masala powder (your choice); 1 large onion sliced; 2 flakes garlic minced; 1 inch piece ginger minced; 2 large tomatoes, diced; 1 sprig curry leaves & 2 tbsp oil for seasoning; salt to taste.

Next morning, wash and drain chickpeas again.  Pressure cook with  1 cup water for 20 minutes.  Add more water if you want a gravy.  In a different pan ( I use non stick), heat the oil and add the curry leaves and stir till they begin to crackle.  Throw in the onions, ginger and garlic and stir fry till golden brown.  Add the tomatoes and masala powder and cook on medium heat until the mixture becomes like a thick sauce.  Add the ladies finger and cover and cook for 3 minutes only (they should be crunchy).  Gently stir in the chickpeas and cook till the mixture begins to simmer.  Switch off and serve hot with rice or any kind of bread.  Savour the International Flavour and pass the recipe to your friends.

A Surprising Combination

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Pan Fried Chicken With Two Coloured Cabbage And Grapes

Many years ago, I was given a beautifully illustrated recipe book on chicken.  It soon became my favourite book and I have been trying  out various recipes whenever I felt the urge to do so.  One that I really liked was a Surprising Combination of Chicken and Grapes.  If you want to know what it tastes like, try it out and become a fan like me.

The Recipe

1 large chicken breast  boned, washed, drained  and flattened with meat mallet.  2 cloves garlic, crushed ; 1 medium onion, sliced fine; 1/2 tsp black pepper; salt to taste and 2 tbsp olive oil for grilling.

1 cup of mixed green and purple cabbage, shredded; bunch of grapes.

Marinade chicken in salt, crushed garlic and pepper powder  for 15 minutes.  Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in non stick pan and fry onions till brown.  Add the chicken and cook on both sides till brown.  Keep warm.  In another pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and stir fry cabbage on high heat for a minute.  Add salt & pepper to taste. Transfer to serving plate.  Top with the chicken and add the grapes on the side.  A Surprising Combination that tastes really good.  Serve with hot garlic bread.