hamaree rasoi

Zebra Cake | How To Make Zebra Cake from Scratch

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:10:13 PDT

There is a dialogue in the movie Forrest Gump- “My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.” So true for me now that I am relocating to another city, Chennai to be precise. It was in the cards for a long time and I was mentally preparing myself to relocate there. However, let me assure that I would continue to post new recipes and interact with all you friends ( although not at the same rate till I stabilize). So the last post that I am uploading in Bangalore is Zebra cake.

The beauty of this cake is that there is no icing required and it looks very attractive. Also it can be preserved in an air tight container for days. So, till the time I start posting new recipes from Chennai, this is Deepa signing off with this wonderful cake .

Recipe Source : From various internet sources I drew the pattern and made it here after 2-3 attempts.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup All purpose flour
2 Eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup Oil (any vegetable oil)
1/2 Milk
2 tbsp Dark Cocoa powder
1 tsp Baking powder
3/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp of pure Vanilla extract
1/8 tsp Salt

Method:
Grease cake tin (8 inch) and dust some flour to the bottom of the pan and the sides too. Invert the pan to remove the extra dust. Pre-heat the Oven to 180 Degree C.
Combine dry ingredients ie. flour, baking powder, salt and set aside. Take a deep mixing bowl and beat sugar and oil together on low speed with a hand mixer. Add milk and combine well. In a separate bowl beat one egg at a time until smooth and fluffy. Add this to oil-sugar liquid batter. Add vanilla extract and combine well. Fold in the dry ingredients (except COCOA) and combine it with wet batter. Now divide the batter into two equal parts and keep in separate bowls. Keep one bowl as it is and add cocoa powder in another. Mix the cocoa batter to remove any lumps. Now there are two options to spread the batter on the pan to make the pattern.
1) You can simply spoon the batter with alternative cake batters.
2) or you can use piping bags for the pattern.

Start by pouring 2 tbsp of vanilla batter in the center of the pan. Immediately pour 2 tbsps of cocoa batter on top of vanilla mixture. Then without stopping repeat with the vanilla batter in the middle of chocolate batter.

Remember not to tilt or rotate the batter to spread as it will automatically spread by itself. Continue to alternate between cocoa and vanilla layers till the batter finishes.

just before going into the Oven

Carefully transfer the pan into the Oven and bake for about 40 minutes. Do not open the glass door in between or else it will have some cracks on top. Check with a toothpick, insert Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack and then invert. Sprinkle some confectioner sugar if you want.

Aam Shrikhand | How to make Mango Shrikhand

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 16 May 2013 05:17:57 PDT

Now that summer is in full swing, it has opened opportunities to counter it with seasonal delicacies not only to beat the heat but also to keep ourselves happy with tasting delicious cuisines. One of the popular desserts of Western India is called as Shrikhand. It's nothing but a homogenised mix of hung curd with a hint of cardamom and saffron. This season I was waiting to get good variety of mangoes so that I can make AamShrikhand.

My Man loves the mousse like consistency with has sweet-tangy taste. And the preparation is so simple that we have completely stopped buying store bought Shrikhand. It's India's answer to Ice-cream without any icing sugar or vanilla essence being used. Hope you all like it and try preparing it at your convenience.

Ingredients:
2 cups Curd or 1 cup Hung curd *(see the notes below)
1 cup Mango pulp
5-6 Sugar
2-3 Condensed milk
2 tbsp Pistachios
5-6 pods of Cardamom powdered
6-7 strands of Saffron dipped in 1 tbsp warm milk

Method:
* To make HUNG CURD :Place a double layered muslin cloth over a bowl and pour the yogurt into the cloth.

Bring the ends together and hang it over a sink for few hours for the excess water to drain. But pressing hard manually will not give the desired effect.

Take a large bowl and add condensed milk, sugar, mango pulp, cardamom powder and saffron infused milk. Mix together to make a smooth and creamy batter. Make sure there are no lumps and sugar is dissolved. Add hung curd and mix well.

Pour the shrikhand into serving bowls and garnish with pistachios. Refrigerate it for minimum 2 hours before serving. Your homemade AamShrikhand is ready !!

How to Make Palak Pakora | Spinach Fritters

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Fri, 10 May 2013 04:36:48 PDT

Palak Pakore, a quick fried item that goes really well with a cup of tea. This bhaji has extra crunch because of rice flour and poppy seeds.

Ingredients:
14-16 Palak leaves (Spinach)
1/2 cup Besan (Gramflour)
4 tbsp Rice flour
4 tbsp Poppy seeds
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1 big pinch of Cooking soda
1/4 tsp Carom seeds
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Water
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Wash the leaves and wipe with tissue paper to remove excess water. Try to use spinach leaves of almost same size. Trim of all but 2 inch of the stem. Make pairs of same size and keep aside.

In a bowl mix everything except OIL , poppy seeds, palak leaves and water. Now add water little by little to get the thick consistency. Check the salt and make sure the batter is free of any lumps. Heat oil for frying on medium flame. Dip the spinach leaves, coat well from both sides and sprinkle some poppy seeds on both the sides. Fry until golden brown. Remove from oil and strain on paper till the oil drains. Serve hot crispy palak pakoras with green chutney.

Chicken Basil Pesto Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 06 May 2013 03:20:52 PDT

"Ciao"(Hello)my friends. It's been quite a while that I have posted anything remotely close to Italian Cuisine. So I have tried pasta with basil pesto this sunday and we loved the flavor. The fact that my son likes any kind of noodles, spaghetti or pasta also helps me in motivating :-) Now a days due to peak summer preparing a light meal with minimum spices is the order of the day.

Let me also mention that I had such type of Pasta in a restaurant in Bangalore called "Sunny's" a couple of years ago and the taste of it was simply awesome. So here is my attempt to make pasta with pesto.

Ingredients:
500 gms Pasta (Spaghetti, Penne, Spiral or your choice)
1 cup fresh Basil
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp Olive oil (out of this keep 1 tbsp oil for pesto)
3 Garlic pods, smashed and peeled
Fresh ground white pepper
1 small Capsicum, diced
1/2 cup shredded Chicken (breast)

Method:
Preparation the pasta according to the directions written on the packet with big pinch of salt. Reserve some boiling water for later use, drain and set aside.

Meanwhile make pesto,wash the leaves and roughly chop. In a food processor or blender add leaves, 1 tbsp oil, garlic pods and run the blender for 20 seconds. Scrapping occasionally to scrape down the sides. Now add parmesan cheese and combine well. Run the blender again for few seconds. Season well with salt and pepper.
Heat a non stick pan and add diced capsicum and chicken pieces and fry on low flame until light brown. Toss in pasta in the pan with pesto and stir to combine. Divide pasta among serving plates and garnish each with a basil leaf and sprinkle some parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

Lobongo Lotika : Bengali Sweet

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:43:43 PDT

The word Lobongo (Clove) makes me wonder what a wonderful spice it is. It's utility can be judged by the fact that it can be used as a painkiller for toothache. If one is suffering from bad throat then also we look around for these small bullets. I remember during my early years my Mom used to stock the cloves as well as clove oil as home remedy and the best part is unlike allopathic drugs there are no side effects . Mom would always travel with a small box containing cloves during train journeys as they would add as mouth freshner :-)

Lobongo Lotika is a traditional Bengali Sweet which has khoya as stuffing and wrapped like a small parcel then dipped into thick sugar syrup. Lobongo (clove) is used as a star ingredient here to keep the parcel in place along with imparting its own flavor.

Ingredients:

To Make the Outer dough:
1 cup flour
Pinch of baking Soda
1 1/2 tbsp white oil (moyen)
Water to knead the dough
14-15 Cloves

To make the filling:
250 gms Khoya
Pinch of Clove powder
Pinch of Cardamom powder
Pinch of Nutmeg powder

To make the Sugar syrup:
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Water
2 green Cardamoms

Method:
Start with the sugar syrup, pour sugar and water into a bowl and cook on low heat. Add 2 crushed cardamoms into it and boil the syrup till it starts thickening. Two string consistency is good for this kind of sweet.

Mash mawa with hand and make it into a smooth ball. In a heavy bottomed pan heat mawa without any oil for 3-4 minutes. Add all the powders mentioned below filling section. Keep aside to cool.

In a bowl add flour, baking soda and mix well. Make a well in the center and add oil and water to mix thoroughly. Make a soft dough and cover it for another 10-15 minutes. Divide the dough into 10-12 equal round balls.

Roll the dough like very small pooris(approx 4 inch), place 2 tsp khoya stuffing in the center and wrap the opposite ends to look similar like rectangles and then fold the remaining two ends to make a square wrap. Seal the center by inserting one clove and prepare the rest of the squares.

Heat oil in a frying pan and slide 3-4 lobongo lotikas and fry on low heat. Flip frequently so that they turn brown evenly on both sides. Remove from pan once they turn light golden and dip them in sugar syrup. Make sure that both the sides are getting drenched in the syrup. Serve at room temperature.

Kolkata Style Egg Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:16:49 PDT

"Dada duto egg roll deben toh" (Dada please make 2 egg rolls for me) ...these are perhaps the most frequent words you will hear if you are passing by a busy street of Kolkata. A very common and popular snack of Kolkata is Egg Roll. It’s specially prepared during the evening time for the students and office going public to satisfy their hunger after a gruelling day. Every street has a joint to cater to this huge crowd.

All one has to do is to grab one of the rolls and be on the way. It’s the simplicity in the preparation itself that makes it so tasty and satisfying. All one has to do is fry a layer of egg on a paratha ( Indian Flatbread) with some veggies like shredded onion, cucumber, tomatoes and green chillies ( if required) and voila you have a snack under 5 minutes which is filling at the same time. So what are you waiting for ? Grab the Frying Pan , Prepare one and just dig in.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 medium size Onions, thinly slice
1 Cucumber, chopped
2 Green chillies, finely chopped
Tomato ketchup
1/4 cup Coriander leaves
Lemon juice as required
Salt and Pepper powder to taste
White Oil
Water to knead the dough
Chaat masala (optional)

Method:
Add flour to a large bowl and sprinkle some salt. Now make a well in the center, add 2 tbsp oil and add water little by little. Mix well to make a soft dough ball. Cover with dough and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and shape into round balls. Using a rolling pin, roll into thin chapatis (approx 6 inch). In a bowl, whisk one egg at a time and salt as per taste. Keep aside.
Heat a dosa pan, place a chapati and cook on the griddle for 30 seconds then flip it.

Pour 1 tsp oil on one side of the paratha and cook for a minute. Then remove the paratha from the griddle and pour 2 tsp oil on pan. Pour beaten egg, tilt and rotate slightly to spread and place that paratha's no-oil side back on the egg mixture so that it sticks to the paratha. To stick better slightly press the paratha with the back of a spatula. Cook for 2 minutes and flip. Remove from the pan and follow the same steps for the remaining parathas.

Assembling the Eggroll:

Take a plate, mix onion, cucumber, chillies, chopped coriander leaves and sprinkle some salt and pepper powder for seasoning. Keep this ready for the next step.

On a flat surface place the egg faced side up. Spread some tomato ketchup. Spread the above mixture evenly on the egg chapati and drizzle some lemon juice and chaat masala. Roll the parathas and cover one end with a napkin or foil to hold it together. Serve hot !!!

Puran Poli with Katachi Amti (Indian Sweet Stuffed Bread)

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:21:33 PDT

I never thought I would try to make this at home, no never...But my rakhi brother who lives in Maharashtra was encouraging me enough to try my hand atleast once. He said it is Maharashtra's famous recipe and he will guide me to sail through. So with positive note I asked for recipe. He told me there are innumerous variations, some use Tuvar Dal others use Chana Dal. In fact some make the dough with whole wheat whereas some add all purpose flour. So you see no two recipes will sound same. So here I have followed the way his family makes at home. The stuffing is known as Puran and the outer cover is known as Poli. Puran poli is a famous Maharashtrian sweet dish which is not served at the end of the meal but as a part of the main meal. Generally the puran poli is served with Katachi Amti, made from the left over stock of cooking chana dal. The plain jane Dal gets makeover by some spices, tanginess and sweet. I loved the flavours in it. Thanks brother for pushing me hard ;-)

Ingredients:
To prepare Puran:-
1 cup Chana dal (split Bengal gram)
3/4 cup Jaggery
1 tsp Green cardamom powder
1/2 tsp Nutmeg powder
2 tbsp Refind oil

To make Dough:-
1 cup Wheat flour
1 cup Flour
1 tbsp Ghee /Oil
Salt to taste

Method:
First wash and soak chana dal for 2-3 hours. Boil it in a pressure cooker with enough water if you want to make 'Katachi Amti' otherwise 2 cups is ok. I have used 4 cups water here as I served PuranPoli with Katachi amti. After 2-3 whistles, turn off the heat. Strain the cooked dal and reserve the water for later use. Once the lentil comes room temperature, grind it without adding water.

Heat pan on medium heat and cook jaggery and chana dal. Keep stirring regularly to avoid getting it burnt from bottom. Cook till the mixture become thick but not very dry. Add cardamom & nutmeg powder, mix well. Remove from heat and let this cool down. Our puran Poli stuffing is ready.

Now make dough by adding both the flours, oil, salt and mix well. Add water little by little to knead the dough, the end result should be soft, elastic dough.

Smear a little oil over the dough and cover with a clingwrap. Keep aside for min 30 minutes.

Make 1 1/2 inch balls out of dough, take one ball at a time and flatten between your palm. Dust your kitchen counter and roll into 4 inch chapati then stuff 2 tbsp of puran (dal mixture).

Seal and press between your palms.

Now roll into 6 inch diameter roti with a rolling pin. Heat a pan and transfer a poli. Apply oil (1 tsp) on both sides and cook from both the sides (till some brown spots appear on both the sides).

Remove and repeat the same process with the rest of the dough and stuffing. Serve hot with ghee or with Katachi Amti. My maharashtarian friends enjoy this with cold milk also.

Ingredients to make Katachi Amti:
* Make a paste of - (2-3 Garlic pods
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 inch Ginger
Dry coconut grated)

**Dry Roast -(4-5 Peppercorns
1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
2 whole red chillies
2 Cloves) and make dry powder in grinder

1 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp Tamarind pulp
2 Curry springs
Few coriander leaves
Little bit of Sugar or jaggery if you want
2 tsp ghee

Method:
Boil the remaining water of cooked dal and mix * paste and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Add water if it is too thick. In a separate pan add just 2 tsp ghee for tempering, add mustard seeds, curry leaves.

When they start crackling add the ** set of dry powder, red chilli and turmeric powder.Finally add the dal and give a quick stir. Add tamarind pulp, sugar (optional) and boil for 2-3 more minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with PuranPoli but I liked this with hot white rice also.

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Anda Palak :Boiled Eggs in Spinach Gravy

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:55:51 PDT

I had few bunches of Palak sitting in my fridge for long, perhaps waiting for panner ;-) but since I was cleaning my fridge before my short trip I was no mood to buy paneer specially for Palak Paneer. So this idea came to my rescue, added eggs instead of paneer here. And the result was simply fantastic ! Don't believe me , huh !
Try it...

Ingredients:
2 bunches Palak /Spinach
2 tsp Olive oil
3-4 Green chillies
Pinch of Sugar

For Gravy:
2 small Onions
2 Tomatoes
2 tsp ginger-Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Garam Masala (dry roast 3 Cardamoms, 3 Cloves, 1 1/2 stick Cinnamon) and make powder of it
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
White oil
1/4 cup Water
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Cream for richness (optional)

4 Eggs
Some Salt and Red chilly powder
2 tsp Gram flour
2 tsp Water

Method:
First boil eggs in enough water for 10 minutes. Then remove the shells and cut them lenghtwise into equal halves. Make a paste of besan (gram flour), salt, red chilly powder and water. Coat well the egg halves and fry them in hot oil till light golden. Keep aside.

Clean and wash spinach leaves in a large container to remove the dirt thoroughly. In a pan add 2 tsp Olive oil and fry till it reduces in volume. Presence of water in the leaves will make it shrink. Remove and place it on a plate, let this cool. Add palak, sugar in ginder to make a smooth paste. Keep aside.
Now take the pan in which you had fried eggs, add some more oil and heat on low flame. Add chopped onions and saute until they turn translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for another 2-3 minutes.

Add turmeric and coriander powder and give it a quick stir fry. Add tomatoes and fry till oil separates. Add pureed spinach and mix well. Sprinkle the garam masala and adjust salt level. Add fried eggs to the gravy, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and once it reaches room temperature you may add 4-5 lemon drops if you want. You can add cream if you want the creaminess in the gravy. This delicious egg palak is ready to devour with plain rice.

If you like this post, please consider sharing it with others. I would love to hear you via E Mail . And show your love to my FaceBook page if you like the content here :-)

Simple Oreo Trifle

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:47:18 PDT

For last few days there has been a spate of bad news all around the world starting from Boston, Bangalore Bombings, earthquake and latest Texas explosions. Sometimes I wonder what's become of us and who gave the right to Humans to be called God's best creation? I am not that kind who remain oblivious to the surronding environment.

Anyway, coming back to the posting part today, I am posting a dessert called trfile.
Now you can afford to have a weeknight dessert without breaking your head. Yes it's a no bake dessert which even ten year old kid can fix.

Ingredients:
2 packets of Oreo (reserve 6 oreos for decoration)
2 packets Britania Chocolate Cake slices
2 cups heavy Whipping cream
1/4 cup powedered Sugar
1 packet of Strawberries

Method:
Crumble the cake slices and keep aside. Cut strawberries in thick slices (lengthwise).In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Then add sugar and beat on low speed for 1 more minute (to check the soft peak, lift the beaters out of the cream, soft peaks should be fold over the beaters).

Refrigerate until you are ready to assemble. Take individual glass to show off the layers :-) Put Oreos into a ziplock bag and crush them. Spread the layer of cake crumbles first then sprinkle some crushed Oreos. Arrange the strawberries around sides of the glasses and fold in whipped cream( through a piping bag). Again arrange a layer of cake and crushed oreo. Throw some more strawberries and repeat the same process. Dollop remaining whipping cream on top and decorate with remaining broken Oreos. Chill and serve !

Ros Bora : Celebrating Bengali New Year with a Sweet

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 08:46:06 PDT

Firstly let me wish all my Blogger Friends and Readers a very happy and auspicious Bengali New year (Poila Boishakh). Evidently, no Bengali celebration is complete without sumptuous meal and pure adda ( gossip). So presenting a popular Bengali sweet, RosBora which is simple yet very appealing. Ros =Syrup +Bora =Dumplings so the outcome is RosBora. Though this along with Pithey, Pathishapta are star traditional sweets during Makar Sankranti when there is abundance of Khejur gur in most Bengali's home. But being a die hard fan of Khejurer Gur I distribute my yearly quota wisely, so that I can enjoy even after six months of purchasing. So my fridge is always loaded with patali gur.

Ingredients:
1 cup Urad dal (white in color)
1 tsp Saunf (mouri)
A big pinch of Cardamon powder

For the syrup:
2 cups Water
1 cup Sugar
50 gms Khejur er gur / Date Palm jaggery (if you don't have it just add another cup os sugar)
White oil for frying

Method:
Soak the urad dal overnight in sufficient water. Next day strain the excess water and transfer all dal into a grinder. Don't add much water initially. Add little by little so that you can control the consistency of the batter. The batter should look creamy and dropping consistency. Transfer the batter into a large bowl and mix saunf and cardamom in it.

Place a frying pan on low heat and on another burner add water and sugar to make the syrup (single thread consistency). When sugar is completely melted, add Khejur gur. The syrup will turn dark in color. Remove from heat.
Drop spoonfuls of batter into hot oil and deep fry till golden brown. Place the fried boras on tissue paper and immerse the hot vadas in syrup. Let them soak for a while. Serve them warm.

Here are some DatePalm Jaggery sweet dishes from past:
1) Sooji'r Payesh with DatePalm Jaggery
2) Nolen Gurer Payesh
3) Ranga Aloo'r Pithey

Review: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf : Celebrating 50 Years

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 06:27:25 PDT

I was longing for a good chat over tasty bites with my friends and this happened eventually ! Yes a lot more can happen over coffee table. Last week a few friends went to 'The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf of MG 1, Bangalore. Located centrally this sure has an edge over other coffee outlets. We made ourselves comfortable at a table of 8. Coffee lovers don't settle down for the ordinary choices, in fact they are always on a look out for varieties of coffee.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL), founded in 1963 by Herbert B.Hyman in Los Angeles, has been a pioneer in bringing gourment coffees and teas to the global connoisseur.

This year is significant as the brand celebrates 50 years of heritage and passion of delighting its patrons worldwide. An exclusive special anniversary offer is going on where they will gratify loyal patrons across the globe for their continued love and support over the years. The brand has just completed 5 successful years in India.

To enhance the celebrations, a new food menu with variety of gourmet and healthy eating options has also been introduced. From all day breakfast , gourmet bites, fresh bakes, main course to desserts, the new Coffee Bean menu is a foodie's delight offering novel options like Chilly Cheese Baguette, Pizza Curl, silky Chocolate Mousse to name a few.

What fascinated me was the Whole Leaf Tea Bags. Through these small pouches you can enjoy the finest teas in the world in convenient single-serving tea bags.

The unique pyramid shape of the bag allows the whole two leaves and a bud to fully expand, providing maximum flavor infusion and the same richness and aroma you savor when brewing our premium tea in an infuser or teapot. The aroma is unmatchable !! Some of the exotic flavors are Tropical Passion, Pomegranate Blueberry, Vanilla Ceylon etc.

Whole leaf tea allows the tea leaves to retain their natural properties resulting in the most flavoured cup of tea possible. During the steeping process, the leaves unfurl, releasing their flavor into the water. So they truly believe in serving their customer the most extraordinary collection of unique, handpicked, premium whole leaf tea.

We ordered few items and each one was superb in taste. Below are the pictures of item we had there.


Coffee Free Ice Blended


Oats & Cranberry Bar


Spaghetti Roast chicken & Pesto Cream


Sandwich

Boston Nut Brownie

Would particularly like to express my gratitude to Mr. Zaheer Ahmed to provide us a comprehensive view of CBTL where we freely kept on clicking pics and asking questions. Also thanks to Anamika for arranging this wonderful event.
Disclaimer : This is not a sponsored post, all views expressed here are mine.
For more information please visit http://www.coffeebean.com/

Sabudana Kheer /Sagoo Kheer / Tapioca Pudding with Pistachios

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 05:41:29 PDT

1Lakh 70 Thousand for a standard one student admission fee !!! No please don't you even think that I am fooling you today as it's April Fool Day. We went through a strenuous exercise of admission which started today around 9 am and ended at 5 pm !! Really education system is pathetic here in India. Seriously I better change the topic towards food or else I may write a long and depressing post today...

Today I am posting a very comfortable pudding which is not only is comforting but also takes care of odd time hunger prangs.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Sagoo /Tapioca
3 cups Milk
1/2 Sugar
1/4 tsp Saffron
A big pinch of Cardamom powder
2 tbsp Pistachios

Method:
Wash and soak the sagoo in enough water for atleast 2 hours. After 2 hours you will see sagoo has soaked up all the water and swelled. Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan, after first boil keep stirring for another 10 minutes.

Stirring continuously so that milk doesn't get burnt from the bottom. Strain extra water from sagoo and add to milk. Cook tapioca till it is cooked properly and becomes transparent. Add sugar, cardamom, saffron and mix well. Simmer for 2 more minutes and remove from heat. Garnish with pistachios. It can be served hot or chilled.

Lady Kenny /Lady Canning : A Bengali Sweetdish

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 05:19:28 PDT

Dol or Holi made me dish up few of our very old ritual sweets /savoury items. Today’s sweet dish has a peculiar name called as Lady Kenny . Legend has it that during the beginning of 19^th century in Bengal, wife of the Viceroy Lord Canning had visited a suburb of Calcutta where elaborate arrangements were made to welcome her to the local Zamindar ( Landlord’s) house. Amongst many lavishly laid food items the Lady Canning liked a particular sweet very much. This sweet resembled a Gulab Jamun in its stretched Avatar. So pleased was the Lady with the sweet that she asked for more of it and as a tribute to her , it was named after Her Excellency Lady Canning ( Lady Kenny pronounced in Bengali).

NOTE:- The Pantua and Lady Kenny are very similar, except that the latter has a raisin inside it and coated in castor sugar.

Recipe Source: Minakshie DasGupta's The Bengal Cookbook

Ingredients:
500 gms Channa /chenna
150 gms sooji /semolina
1 tsp Ghee
3/4 cup Sugar
12 Raisins
Pinch of Cardamom powder

Oil/ghee for frying

For Sugar Syrup
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Water
2-3 Green cardamoms

Method:
In my next post I will show how to make Chenna/ chana for full cream milk. Here I have used homemade chenna.

To proceed knead the channa, suji well with your fingertips till it turns into pliable state. Add ghee to make the dough smooth and soft. Add sugar and knead lightly for next 10 minutes. Divide the channa into approximately 12 equal portions. Roll them to form smooth round balls.

In between make sugar syrup by adding sugar and water and put the vessel on low flame. Stir constantly till the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is clear. Check the consistency of the syrup, once you get single thread consistency, remove from fire. Keep aside.

Sugar syrup....

Stuff each ball with a raisin and roll in the palms of the hands until round or oval shapes. Take a heavy wok and heat oil/ ghee. Drop 2-3 balls into the hot oil and flip in between for even frying. When they turn light brown remove from wok and place them on kitchen paper.

Check the center one...it's coated with castor sugar....I don't like the extra sweetness so beside applying it on 2-3 I skipped the process

Immerse in prepared syrup and leave it for an hour to soak it fully. Now remove Lady Kenny from syrup. Sprinkle castor sugar on a piece of waxed paper and roll each one to get the white sugar coating. You can decorate these with varak, fresh grated coconut. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Kucho Nimki /Salty Diamond Fritters for HOLI Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 03:49:08 PDT

The countdown to Holi ( festival of colors ) has begun in earnest in India. Already my child is stocking colors and readying the pichkaris ( water gun ) to soak all and sundry during Holi festival. This reminds me of childhood days where me and friends used to ambush behind our compound walls with water color filled balloons and pichkaris to target any passerby or any family friends visiting our home to play holi. Their surprised look when they used to get drenched with water was priceless but all of them took it in the spirit of holi.

Also, my mom used to prepare Gujiyas, Methi Mathri, Urad Dal ke pakore, Mutton Keema, Dahi Vade and Kucho nimkis ( diamond shaped nimkis) which we used to savor during playing with colored hands or after completing the holi and taking a through shower.

Today I am posting the nimkis as they are best tea time snack. This is must for Bijoyas get togethers.

Ingredients:
2 cups All purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Carom seeds
1 tsp Nigella seeds (kalongi)
1 1/2 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 Baking soda
3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Water to knead the dough (warm)
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Sift flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center to add oil. One by one add all the dry ingredients (not oil) and mix well with fingers. Once you have mixed oil and flour well, pour warm water a little at a time and knead the flour into a stiff dough. Knead it for 2-3 minutes more. Cover it with a moist cloth and let it rest for 1/2 hour.

Divide the dough into 2-3 equal parts. Take one portion and shape the dough into a ball and roll into a big roti /chapati.

I prefer my set of nimkis very thin so rolled them really thin. Take a sharp knife and make crisscross cuts to make little diamonds.

Heat oil in frying pan and ensure that oil temp is really hot. To check drop one diamond into hot oil, if it sizzles and comes up slowly it means temp is ok. Drop few diamonds into the hot oil and fry them on low temp. Flip them frequently for evenly fried nimkis or until they turn light golden in color.

Drain thoroughly and let them cool properly. Repeat until you finish the dough. Once cool transfer these nimkis to an air tight container as they have life shell of 2-3 weeks. Whenever you want to enjoy these nimkis just sprinkle some black salt and enjoy !

Love At First Bite @ Mad Over Donuts

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 07:45:48 PDT

Kuch Meetha Chahiye? To phir Donuts try karo na. Well this was Mad Over Donuts advertising statergy to promote their product last year during Diwali celebrations. Yes the donut fever has caught attention in India also.

As per Wikipedia “A doughnut or donut is a type of fried dough confectionery or dessert food. Doughnuts are popular in many countries and prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty outlets. They are usually deep-fried from a flour dough, and shaped in rings or flattened spheres that sometimes contain fillings. Other types of batters can also be used, and various toppings and flavorings are used for different types. “

Why have I quoted Wikipedia is because way back in 2000 I wasn't aware of it's existence even, so I was not too much familiar with the way how donuts are prepared as in India it’s only in recent times that this snack has caught the imagination of metropolitan cities of India. Thanks to many Hollywood movies viewed in cable channels, where donuts with coffee is a regular feature, the trend to hang out in donut joints is catching up fast.

Here Jayashree is trying her hand at DIY donut decoration

One of the largest and well established gourmet donut producing Singapore based company in India is Mad About Donuts ( MOD) which has created a niche for itself in the F&B segment being the first concept of its kind to enter India. It’s vibrant & youthful customer friendly experience has found a strong connect with its target audience and the brand has evolved into a lifestyle choice for many, especially since they cater eggless gourmet donut is a blessing for vegetarians.

Mr Tarak Bhattacharya, Chief Operating Officer, Mad Over Donuts, during the opening of their Phoenix Market City, Bangalore, said in the release that the strategy was to focus on the ‘Love at First Bite!’ experience, which also includes the fun experience that one gets whenever the customer walked into a Mad Over Donuts’ store. Mad Over Donuts caters to guests with an array of scrumptious Donuts and freshly brewed Coffees. The company already has more than 46 stores all over India in a span of 5 years, with expansion plans of more than double store count by the end of 2013.

I too have recently visited this joint at Koramangala branch, Bangalore where the energy was vibrant and it’s always was buzzing with activities. Not to mention that the taste of the donuts were awesome. Their selling figures are astonishing, they sell 21,000 donuts across India per day and in Bangalore Koramangla fetches the highest number of customers and sell around 800 donuts per day ! Mr. Tarak told us that in each outlet there are 6 chefs who work round the clock and the main supply comes twice a day. First batch in the morning and the second in the evening. Depending upon the sale of first half of the day next batch comes. Since the shell life is less so each outlet tries to deliver only fresh items on the counter. Enclosing some of the pics showing the place and the vibrant donuts being served to us.

Some happy faces of customers....

Apparently they are celebrating 5 Years in India and they are giving some attractive offers to their customers. As part of the celebrations, Mad Over Donuts has a line-up of exciting Anniversary Special Deals and activities in-store for its guests. This week-long celebration across Mad Over Donuts stores is from the 20th to the 26th of March 2013. So don't miss the opportunity to enjoy your favorite flavour of donuts. rhey have few savoury donuts too like Mama Mia to pamper your taste buds.

Date                            Anniversary Special Deals

21st March 2013     1 Donut + 1 Cappuccino @ Rs. 80/- (Save Rs. 25)
22nd March 2013    1 Donut + 1 Iced coffee @ Rs. 85/- (Save Rs. 45)
23rd March 2013   3 Donuts @ Rs. 100/- (Save Rs. 50)
24th March 2013   Buy a box of 3, 6 or 12 donuts @ half the cost (50% off)
25th March 2013     Avail 20% off on Minimum billing of Rs. 200
26th March 2013     Avail 15% off on Minimum billing of Rs. 200
Otherwise:

We bloggers were given some goodie bags where we were spoiled for choices :-)

Now you can go Mad over Donuts !

For more updates go and visit their site :Website: www.madoverdonuts.com

DISCLAIMER: This is not a paid review. I visited Mad Over Donuts Koramangala store and tasted the above mentioned items I reviewed in this post.

Shorshe Murgi: Indian Chicken Curry With Mustard Paste

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 05:20:24 PDT

Shorshe Murgi is not for weak hearts.....Yes a gentle reminder that mustard oil is known for it's pungency, strong smell and flavour and we Bengalis can't live without it !! There are some particular dishes in which we use only mustard oil. One word of caution though, people who are averse to mustard may find it too hot to handle, you can replace with vegetable oil but taste would not be the same . But no harm in taking the challenge and once you are used to the taste then enjoy this spicy hot chicken curry.

Ingredients:
1 kg Chicken Boneless (I have used here 750 gms)
3 tbsp Mustard oil / vegetable oil
2-3 Onions, ground to paste
4-5 Green chilies, slit
1/4 cup Mustard seeds paste (I used both black and white)
2 tbsp Curd
1 big Tomato, ground to paste
1 tbsp Ginger
2 tbsp Garlic
2 Black cardamons
4 Green cardamoms
4 Cloves
1/2 " Cinnamon stick
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2tsp Red chilly powder
1 1/2 cups of Water
Salt to taste

Method:
Wash chicken pieces and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Apply half of onion paste, curd, red chilli powder, salt, ginger and garlic, mix it thoroughly.

Cover and keep it aside for half an hour. In a pressure cooker heat mustard oil on high flame, when smoky reduce the heat and add cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon stick. Let them crackle and then add remaining onion paste.

Fry on low heat till it changes to light pink color. Add marinated chicken fry on low flame for next 10 minutes. By now the water will tend to dry up from the curd. Add green chillies, turmeric and red chilly powder and fry a little. Cover and cook on low flame and keep stirring from time to time to avoid getting it burnt from the bottom. Ideally this should take 15 minutes. When it leaves oil add tomato paste and cook on medium flame.

When the oil floats and the chicken looks golden brown add water and boil on high flame till first boil. Close the lid of cooker and simmer on low flame for 10-12 minutes or till first whistle comes. Switch off the burner and let the steam pass off. Add mustard paste and stir well to mix thoroughly and simmer 5 more minutes. Just remember after adding mustard paste if you cook it for longer time you may get the bitter taste later. So remove from flame and garnish with green chillies. Serve hot with steamed rice.

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A Meeting To Remember :Kate Bracks at Whitefield Baking Company, Marriott, Whitefield

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 05:20:06 PDT

Kate Bracks

To meet Kate Bracks, the winner of 2011 season of MasterChef Australia was a dream come true. Her first visit to India, Bangalore for the launch of Whitefeild Baking Co. at Marriott.
I was elated with joy to receive the invite to attend the press meet and come face to face with my favorite contestant of season 3 in person. We hardly missed any show of all the seasons, remote used to be kept aside for an hour as no channel hopping was allowed !

Mr. Mathew Cooper sharing a candid moment with Kate

So the Whitefeild Baking co. was up to welcome Kate the much acclaimed 'Dessert Specialist' to showcase some of her signature dishes and some fun baking event with kids. A very elated Mr. Mathew Cooper, General Manager, Bengaluru Marriott said " It is a matter of great pride and honour for us to have Ms. Kate Bracks with us. Apart from the ambiance which is sure to win your heart, we are on a mission to capture and retain a world class flavour to everything we offer, thereby ensuring our guests savour nothing but the best".

The show began with a round applause upon seeing Kate running and waving to us. With an energetic voice she addressed the crowd. Initially for 5 minutes I found my jaw dropping seeing my favorite contestant's persona, then gathered myself :-).

Kate on her way to make muffins

She gave us a chance to show her baking skills in front of us. It consisted of "Chocolate Hazelnut & Raspberry Muffins", which is her on her favorite dessert. While doing this she talked about a host of her own experiences, journey to become Master Chef winner, life of a Mom of 3 kids, supporting husband and her love for cooking. And we got to taste one of the softest muffins but with a light texture.

Demo with Q&A

Later I got the opportunity to ask her some questions which she did with a smile on her face. Below are some questions that I asked her.

How is life after "The Sweet Life" ?
Kate: Sweeter than I thought. The journey itself was so beautiful. When I started writing , I never thought that the number of dessert recipes would be close to sixty four. Then I started the book with the basic dessert recipes in the beginning and gradually level up till the preparations like tarts, pies etc. for expert cooks.

What was your way to handle pressure during Master Chef Australia?
Kate: Although I had felt pressure and there was some nervous energy, I kept reminding myself that it was all about food and it's just a contest and not about life and death. As a Mom of three kids I could not sleep one night and next day I had to be up and running. It was no different in Master Chef Australia, so my being a Mom really helped.

Tell us more about your B&B ( Bed and Breakfast ) project started in your hometown Orange in Australia?
Kate: We have a small Farm in the outskirts of my hometown , Orange where I hope to start B&B one day. This is a project I would to see materialize.However to start it now and make it do well I need to stay away from my kids for a longer period, which I am not able to sacrifice right now. As of now B&B can wait right now since my top priority is to be with my kids.

After Master Chef win every time you cook has the expectation been raised to such a level that your day to day home cooking seems to be affected?
Kate: As far as my husband and kids are concerned, they still love the same way that I used to cook before Masterchef. However, within myself I do feel a little awkward if the food I cook for may family is not up to my expectations.So not to a great extent.

What is your favourie food which you would like someone else to cook for you?
Kate : It would be lamb cutlets which I can't get past. Also, I like to have roasted veggies with herbs.I like fresh herbs. So that's about it.

During Master Chef contest, how did your family support you as you were away from home for such a long time?
Kate: Me and my husband had closely watched Master Chef Season 1 & 2. So, he insisted that I participate in the third season and showcase my inherent passion that is cooking. Although, I was hesitant since I had small children and leaving them for such a long time was a tough ask. However , my husband reassured me that he would take care of them and asked me not to worry about them and the key word was even single parents can raise children on their own. This determination of his convinced me to participate in the contest with a free mind. Moreover , the rule provided us to call our families twice a week and families could visit you for a limited period within the seven months also helped a lot.

How's your experience during the launch of Whitefield Baking Company ( WBC ) in Marriott Bengaluru Whitefield?
Kate: Being an admirer of Marriott's excellent service to it's patrons in terms of luxury, comfort and exquisitely delicious food, it's my please to be present here today. I myself have spent a lot of time at WBC and I am amazed to see the the wide range of gourmet delights at the outlet where one can choose what suits their palate. It's the new one stop destination of India's "Silicon Valley".
Thank you Kate for being so patient and answering my questions.
Here are some pictures of the press meet held in Marriott Hotel.....

Kate's first book "The Sweet Life"

Freshly baked....

Wishing tons of good luck to Kate And Mathew for newly launched WBC.

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Buttermilk Fried Onion Rings

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 03:49:11 PDT

Recently I got a reality check when a renowned school asked a five and a half year old child was asked to write a one and a half hours of exam consisting of 3 subjects( Math, English and Hindi to be specific). I said to myself what kind of future we are presenting to our children where from such a tender age a child is subjected to academics only and no sports and co-curricular activities? However, I am hopeful that considering the information age we live in which informs us about live cases about ill effects of over burdening the child with books , many parents have started to raise their voice and sooner or later schools would have no alternative but to focus on overall development of the children. It does not help it if all the children are forced to become either doctors or engineers , throttling their inherent talents. If a child is allowed to develop happily and in a free state in primary stage, only then he/she would harness his/her talent and grow as a responsible citizen.

Just wanted to let you know all about my perspective about Indian Education System in India. By the way , posting onion rings recipe just in case you have guests arriving in evening and want to keep them busy with these munchy onion rings. Buttermilk in this batter adds a unique flavor in these onion rings. Extremely addictive and very easy to prepare also.
Source: Tarla Dalal's Finger Foos for Kids
Ingredients:
1 cups All purpose flour
4 Onions (almost of same size) and cut into rings
1 tsp Cornflour
1 cup Buttermilk*
A pinch of soda
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper powder
1 tsp Chat masala
2 tbsp finely chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:
* To make buttermilk take a cup of milk and add 1 tbsp vinegar and let this sit for 5 minutes. Your homemade buttermilk is ready !!! Combine flour, cornflour, pepper powder, soda, salt in a large bowl and mix well to make smooth lump free batter.

The batter should be of pouring consistency. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and test the oil temperature by first dropping an onion ring into the hot oil, it should bubble straight away. Now dip the onion rings in the prepared batter and drop 5-6 onion rings at a time (don't over crowd the pan) and fry until golden. Drain on absorbant paper, sprinkle a little chaat masala over it and toss well. Serve immediately with tomato ketchup

Pistachio Sandesh / Pista Sondesh : A Bengali Sweet

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 06:04:52 PDT

Sandesh/ Sondesh ( Sweet with cottage cheese) and a Bengali Foodie both complement each other. There is not a single instance where you visit a Bengali’s house during evening and you are not offered a plate of shandesh. Moreover, we Bengalis are known for having a sweet tooth ( another reason why Bengali language is adjudged as the Sweetest language by UNESCO). So my dear friends indulge in a variety of sandeshes to your heart’s fill and you won’t at all regret it. I have added pistachio powder to chenna to make it flavored one.

Ingredients:
2 Ltr Full cream Milk
2 tbsp Lemon juice
3/4 cup Sugar(powdered) {you can adjust the sweetness }
1/2 cup Pistachio powder
1 tsp Rose water
1 tsp Cardamom powder
2-3 green Color drops is optional.(I added here nice color)
Few strands of Saffron for decoration
Few Pistachios for decoration

Method:
To make chenna first, take a pan and bring the milk to boil on low flame. Stir occasionally to avoid getting scorch from bottom. Then add lemon juice and milk will start to curdle. This is called cottage cheese or paneer / chenna. Once you see water turning slight green turn off the heat and drain the water through a cheese cloth. Now wash the chenna under running water to wash off the lemon flavor. Do not squeeze out the excess water with your hand just tie the sides of cheese cloth together and hang to enable the water to drain away.

Knead chenna well with your finger tips and knead until the cracks on chena starts to disappear. And the chenna becomes smooth. Now add sugar, saffron strands, pista powder, rose water, cardamom powder and again knead well. The art lies in kneading, the more you knead the less grainy texture at the end.

Now take a non stick pan and add this mixture and fry on low heat. Stir continuously till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. Leave this mixture for a minute to cool and then take a little mixture in your hand and roll it into a small ball or you can design them beautifully by Sandesh molds. Decorate the sandesh with some chopped pistanchios and saffron strands.

Vegetable Pulao In Rice Cooker /How To Use a Rice Cooker

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 05:08:02 PDT

It is needless to say that rice is a permanant cereal for most people in the world. However, it's consumtion is more in the Asian continent. Within the passage of time the vareity of recipes and method of preparation of rice have evolved. However, one of the greatest innovation in cooking rice based dishes was done by Toshiba Corporation , Japan who introduced Rice Cookers. Later it was joined in the market by other competitors. It revolutionized the way the rice being cooked from conventional pots on gas or coal to electrified method. This not only reduced the time but also added to the convenience by doing away with disposing of the excess starch. Now, it also meant that you could include veggies, soyabean etc. in the cooker and prepare a pulo for added taste. It has been more than a decade since I started using rice cooker and trust me till date it always performed to my satisfaction.

Today I am posting Vegetable Pulao in Rice Cooker with just 2 tbsp Ghee. For the best results I have found that when I cooked rice with the same soaking water it yields me the best aromatic grains of basmati rice ever to come out of my kitchen !
What else your rice cooker can do :-
1) I prepare steamed dumplings, momos....Yes you heard me right in that same rice cooker just put water into the bottom and place the dumplings in the steamer basket (it is a separate item so doesn't come with all rice cooker brands).

2)Steaming vegetables takes less effort, only thing is keep an eye on timer as rice cooker boils water faster than bringing water to a boil in a stove pot. Wghcih eventually saves time and provides good results. The rice cooker turns off the heat automatically to prevent burning the rice or anything that may scorch inside the cooker.

3) You can also make soups in it. If rice cooker have been given enough water and time it will create long simered dishes without scorching or boiling over.

Today's Rice Cookers have a feature "keep warm" with the automatically shut off feature. To help you more most Rice Cookers come up with recipe books so you can know what else you can do except cooking rice in it !!

Ingredients:
2 cups Basmati rice
1 cup Green peas
3/4 cup chopped French Beans
3/4 cup chopped Carrot
1 " Cinnamon stick
5-6 Black pepper balls
3-4 Cloves
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp Biryani masala powder
2 tbsp Ghee
5 cups of Water (rice:water proportion should be double like here we have taken 2 cups rice so 4 +1 cup water)
Salt to taste

Method:
Pour the measured rice into a bowl and add plenty of water and stir the rice in circles with your fingers to loosen the starches. Pour the starchy water down the drain and rinse two more times with fresh water till the water is almost clear. Now soak the rice with double amount +1 cup extra water and let this sit for almost 20 minutes. For the precise measurement use measuring cups later when you become an expert you can reply on an eyeball measurement !

Keep ready your rice cooker by placing the separator plate at the bottom(see above pic where I am showing). Add rice (except water), all the vegetables, all the raw spices and bay leaves.

Mix lightly with a long spatula. Add the water which was used for soaking, ghee, biryani masala powder and salt.

Stir thoroughly. Close the lid of rice cooker (make sure the lid is firmly fitted) and switch on the button.

Cooking time will depend on the rice quantity and quality. So try not to open the lid to see the progress in between. One or two times is ok to check. Again don't leave the lid open for too long while checking as it may bring down the inside temperature.

The steamy rice after I opened the lid...

Once the rice is cooked automatically it will turn "warm" mode from "cooking".Also a word of recommendation, if you watch closely you would notice that there is a keep warm light which automatically goes on once the rice is fully cooked ( pic below)

It is required not to take out rice for immediate serving rather than to wait for 10-15 minutes in the keep warm mode so that the excess steam is vented out. This would ensure that the rice is not sticky and soggy and the grains are distinctly separated from each other. Enjoy with your choice of curry.

So now with above explanation take up this challenge and hone your skills to make perfectly cooked rice in Electric Rice Cooker. Also there is a misconception that you could only prepare rice with the rice cooker. On the contrary there are a host of curries and pulses that could be cooked and I could vouch for the fact that it tastes as good as prepared in Wok or Pressure cookers.

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Stir Fried Onion Stalks / Peyajkoli-Aloo Bhaja

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 02:32:38 PST

Being brought up in a PSU ( Public Sector Undertaking) township that too in the foothills of Himalayas has its super advantages. For instance, behind every Type IV quarters there is a kitchen garden which is utilized round the year to cultivate seasonal vegetables. Imagine the food that you eat is straight away plucked from the backyard. One of the vegetables that we relished is green onion stalks which my Baba (Dad) used to grow particularly in winter months. He used to get up early, head towards the field and pluck freshly grown sprouts just in time for cooking it as a delicious breakfast with puris or as a vegetable with steamed rice. And Ma used to chop the onion flowers and potatoes preciously the same length.

The mild sweetness of peyaj-kolis and almost no spice stir fry used to be our lunch with Dal-Bhaat. Well, cannot recreate the same magic of my Baba, but giving it a try with this preparation. Today's recipe is Pyajkoli bhaja where we use onion flower bud with the stem. Ok let me make this more easy for you to understand Peyaj means Onion, Koli means bud, Bhaja means stir fry !!

Ingredients:
1 bunch of Onion flowers, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch or just like French fries
A big pinch of Onion seeds /Kalo jeera
1 Green chilli, slit
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
A pinch of Sugar
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Mustard oil (for those who like the strong smell) /refind oil

Method:
Take a wok and heat oil to smoking point and add green chilli, onion seeds. After a second carefully slide the potatoes straight into hot oil. Sprinkle some salt, cover and cook potatoes until they are half done.

Add some turmeric, salt, sugar, onion flowers and stir fry on medium flame by covering. Stir occasionally in between.

Since potatoes were already half done so pyajkoli will not take much time to release it's juices and within 5 minutes dish will be ready. Remove and serve hot with Dal -Bhaat or even with parathas.

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Rice Phirni with Rose Infused Strawberries

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 02:22:37 PST

Today's recipe is simple phirni presented with rose infused strawberries which I learnt during a workshop last month. The sweet which I am going to share today comes with a caution: “ Likely to be emptied instantly on arrival.” Hence, phirni is to be prepared with generous quantity so that all guests and hosts alike could have to their heart’s fill. And don’t be surprised if your guests ask for refill for this sweet even before finishing half way with the apprehension that others might take away your share. So it’s the culmination of a great meal with a high.
Sending this pleasing to eyes colored phirni to Priya's Valentine's Day Recipe Contest sponsered by Cuponation

Ingredients:
For Phirni-
50 gm Basmati Rice, pounded to a coarse powder
1 Ltr. Full cream milk
3 tbsp Sugar
2 pinch Cardamom powder
For the topping-
250 gms fresh Strawberry
Few mint leaves
2 tbsp Rose syrup
2 tbsp Water

Method:
Remember don't make a smooth paste of rice while grinding as fine powder will make it taste like custard ! Take a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring milk to a boil on low flame by stirring continuously. Add rice powder and with a spatula stir vigorously.

Cook on slow flame while stirring continuously and cook till it thickens. Add in sugar and cardamom powder.

By now the consistency of milk will be thick like custard (take care there are no lumps formed). Pour into 2 big glasses or 4 small glasses and keep in fridge for atleast 4 hours.

Slice the strawberries into thin slices and mix in rose syrup with water, mint leaves. Let this mixtures sit in and soak all the flavours for an hour.

Serve the phirni chilled with strawberry and garnish with a mint spring.

Happy to send this recipe to Swathi's ongoing 'Recipes with Fruits' event and giveaway, courtesy CupoNaton

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Spicy Baked Chicken Wings

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 19:53:08 PST

Now a days there are a host of Chicken joints mushrooming up in the city. It’s popular with kids who seem to like the crispy taste and the juicy chicken. However, there is a catch, these fried chicken contain MSG which I don't like much. So, it becomes a mission for mothers like me to replicate the same magic at home with Chicken dishes which are not only healthy but also pleasing to eat. This is my small attempt to convey that all is not lost we can still have alternate meals and propagate till the Big Chain of restaurants are compelled to change their way of cooking. It’s a win win situation for all and so I hope that you would try this one out and make it as a regular feature in dinner or lunch.

Ingrdients:
6 Chicken wings
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce (keep aside 2 tbsp for marinate wings)
2 tbsp Soya sauce (keep aside 1 tbsp for marinade)
2 tbsp Olive sauce for marinade
1 tbsp Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Lime zest
1/4 tsp Orange peel
1/4 tsp chopped Ginger
2 tbsp Sesame seeds (white)
Some Spring onions (green portion) finely chopped
2 Whole red chilly chopped roughly
3-4 Green chillies, slit
1/2 cup Water
Salt and pepper according to taste

Method:
Clean wings and pat with a dry cloth. Sprinkle some salt and pepper along with hoisin sauce*, soya sauce *, olive oil and toss it well.

Refrigerate for 3 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare the baking tray by placing a butter paper and brush it with olive oil. Place the wings in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet. Bake it for 20-25 minutes , rotating half way through, until fully cooked. Broil for another 5 minutes for the beautiful crust on top if you want.

Remove wings from Oven and keep aside. Just before serving: Prepare sauce by pouring remaining sauces in a pan on low heat and add coriander stems, minced garlic, ginger, zest, sesame seeds, peels and 1/2 cup water. combine well with a spatula and toss the hot wings in the sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes so that wings soak up the flavour well. Serve immediately.

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Sooji Payesh With Nolen Gur /Semolina Pudding With Date Palm Jaggery

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 06:02:59 PST

Though traditional payesh is made with rice (gobindo bhog chaal) but let me tell you there is not limit if you have got nolen gur in your hand !! I do everything to increase my intake of Nolen Gur/Khejur Gur when in season :-)

Ingredients:
1 Ltr Milk
1/4 cup Semolina
2 tsp Ghee
9-10 Almonds (soaked in water overnight, peel off the skin next day and slice)
8-10 Cashews
8-10 Raisins
3/4 cup grated Nolen gur (Date Palm Jaggery) or you can use plain jaggery. Adjust the sweetness according to your taste
Small pinch of Salt

Method:
Heat ghee in a pan on low flame and add sooji, cashews, raisins and fry till golden brown and it leaves nice aroma. Keep this aside.

Pour milk in a thick bottomed pan and bring it to a boil. Stir occasionally for almost 15 minutes on low flame. Now add semolina along with nuts, small pinch of salt and cook stirring continuously until it becomes thick. Switch off the burner and add nolen gur.

Keep stirring till gur is melted in milk mixture thoroughly. Put it back on flame on low heat and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with sliced almonds. I personally like to have warm bowl of sooji'r payesh. With each passing hour it will become dense so you may want to add some warm milk into it to dilute this aromatic payesh.

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Vegetable Kathi Roll With Soya Keema

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 03:01:54 PDT

Kathi Rolls in Kolkata complement each other. This is a kind of snack which is available in every nook and corner of the city to high end restaurants. Be it a millionaire coming out from his BMW or a Cyclist , both of them would have this roll as their evening snack. The taste of it is awesome and every time I land in Kolkata, I head towards the nearest roll joint ( Bedouin, Gariahat).

With passage of times, there has been influx of healthy and nutritious vegetarian rolls to expand the roll lover’s horizon. Adding Soya, Tofu or Paneer adds up to the taste for the veggies. So here is an attempt of mine to recreate a fraction of taste of Kolkata rolls with a healthy twist.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Soya granules
1 Capsicum, cut lengthwise
1 Tomato, de-seed, cut lengthwise
1/2 cup Purple cabbage
150 gms Panner (cottage cheese)
1/4 cup Green peas (OPTIONAL)
1-2 Green chilli
1 tsp Chat masala
Tomato ketchup
few tbsp Green coriander chutney
1/2 lemon
Oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

For Paratha:
1 1/4 cups All purpose flour
3 tbsp white Oil (moyen)
Salt
Water

Method:
Take a deep bowl, add flour, salt, oil and combine well. Add water little by little to form a soft yet firm dough. Cover the dough and keep aside for 15 minutes.
In between prepare the filling. Heat water in a vessel and pour soya granules into it, with a pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and rinse soya granules in running water. Squeeze out excess water.

Heat a non stick pan and add 2 tbsp vegetable oil in it. Fry granules with some salt and peas for 5-6 minutes. Now add all the vegetables into the pan and stir fry on medium flame for few minutes. Check the seasoning and turn off the flame. Add lemon when the filling cools down.

To prepare the paratha, pinch a big size of dough, flour the surface and roll it into big round shape (little bigger than usual roti/chapati size). On a flat pat, place one paratha and cook lightly on both sides without oil. When some brown spots appears add 1 tsp oil and fry for a minute from both sides. Remove from pan and place it on a plate, spread some green chutney paste, ketchup and 2 -3 tbsp filling. Sprinkle some chat masala to jazz up the rolls. Roll the paratha tightly to form a roll. To hold the rolls you can wrap the lower part with tissue and enjoy !

So easy to carry, it's a perfect breakfast on the run.....