Sandyz Corner

Star Fruit Upside down cake

2010-09-26T13:17:00.011-04:00

My mom periodically sends me these wonderful fruits called star fruits which grow abundantly in her backyard garden. While some of them are eaten , most of the times they just rot in my fruit basket and seriously I hate to see that. So this time around I googled star fruit recipes and it came up with some interesting ones, one of which was the Star Fruit Upside Down Cake.

Star fruit also know as Carambola, is a native of Philippines, Indonesia , India and Sri lanka.

Carambolas are rich in anti oxidants, vitamin A , vitamin C and potassium. The fruit in cross-section is a five point star and hence the name Star fruit.

Star-Fruit Upside Down Cake :

Ingredients :

3 to 4 star fruit, sliced
1/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
Juice of 2 Florida passion fruit / Orange
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. each of vanilla and almond extract

P.S : If using orange juice use orange essence instead

Preheat oven to 350 F / 150 C.
Arrange sliced starfruit in bottom of a greased 9 inch cake pan as close together as possible.You can also place cherries in between the spaces to give an added effect.
Mix together 1/4 cup butter, brown sugar and passion fruit/ orange juice and pour into pan, turning so mixture covers bottom. Set aside.
Cream together 1/2 cup of butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beat well.
Mix together dry ingredients. Add flour mixture, alternately with milk, to butter mixture. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Pour into prepared cake pan.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until cake pulls away form sides of pan.
Let cool for five minutes before inverting onto serving plate.

A Bizarre chinese food Adventure

2009-05-23T12:11:00.003-04:00

China was one country my husband and I always wanted to visit. Although it was my first trip and my husbands second, he hadnt prepared me enough for the food-wise cultural shock I was to receive. When our china trip was being planned, I happened to catch one of my favorite shows on travel network of Bizarre foods in Guangzhou, China which happened to be the place we were visiting. I recorded it and hoped we would go to all those places and eat the bizarre food. What I hadnt prepared myself for was the extensity of the bizarreness in reality that was existing there.And what an adventure it was. We walked the streets and the little aisles, visited food courts, sat in restaurants and street stalls and witnessed the stangest of foods and ate what was edible...though most of it was not for the faint of heart. Many a times , our chickentarian friends travelling with us , would almost throw up seeing us eat or just looking at the food itself. The menus in restaurants were filled with dishes like pigs liver, trotter, intestine, guts, frogs, snakes, oxtail etc.

Dried Snakes, Centipedes, Slugs and Snails

Not a spare part was left uneaten. There's no wasting any parts for the chinese and thats the way we liked it. Although I would never eat intestine and guts for goodness sakes.

Hongkong was a typical cosmopolitan place. Given its touristy nature, finding any kind of food here was easy. A one hour ferry ride from Hongkong took us to Macau which was definitely a hot spot for food. Since the early 16th century, it has been ruled by Portugese traders and was handed over to the People's Republic of China in the late 90's. The cuisine in Macua has a portugese influence to it. We visited one Portugese restaurant and all the dishes had a distinct portugese flair along with their chinese counterpart.

Oxtail Curry

Pork Chops With Portugese Sauce

Portugese Egg Tarts

Macau is very famous for its portugese egg tarts made of flour, eggs, margarine and milk, best eaten when it is hot. It is a very popular snack and is served in most bakeries.

After our visit in Hongkong and Macau we landed in Shenzhen, the chinese territory and believe it or not, we went tex-mex. Mainly because our wary friends were so smitten by the chinese food in hongkong for three days that tex-mex was a welcome sight for them. Not so for us, although it didnt turn out to be bad afterall.

Guangzhou was the turning point in our trip. We got to see so much of real stuff. Its amazing how countries differ with their culture, style, language and food. Its what separates us and makes us who we are. Coming back to reality, Guangzhou is a food lovers paradise. I love Dim sum. Back in the US, they only serve Dim sums for lunch. Apparently not in china. There it is mainly served on the streets and mostly for breakfast. Most restaurants we visited had a menu for dimsum and we had to order it off the menu, unlike in the US where they bring dimsum to you in different carts pushed by waiters.

Breakfast consisted of steaming soups, Barbeque pork buns, steamed rice dumplings, pastries filled with egg yolk (yuck!!!) and a lot of other fancy stuff. It was left to us to pick what we wanted and hoping it would be good. We spent most of our time scanning for street stalls or shacks to eat our breakfast and lunch. These eateries truly produce some amazing and authentic fare fit for hungry travellers like us who craved for food beyond imagination.

Evenings also consisted of street side food. We walked through streets where vendors were selling their dried snakes, centipedes, snails , snakes and fish. We walked through small aisles where groups of people played games on the road, blissfully unaware of the time or day. We visited a place called jade market where there were hundreds of stalls each consisting different kind of food, dedicated to different palates. Some had eye-catching chicken, shrimp, lobsters,octopus on skewers roasting while others had scorpions, snails, snakes and centipedes for snacks. Some had steaming soups and noodles so applealing while others had things that would literally make you throw up. Yet it was all a part of the game, a part of discovering the country, its cuisine, its variety and its way of life.

We soaked in the culture, the streets, filled with people constantly nibbling on these nick nacks every couple of hours , their ability to be active and healthy, and enjoy their life, blissfully ignorant of the tourists in awe of their cuisine and lifestyle. Despite language being a big barrier for most foreigners the people in China are friendly, helpful, efficient and amazing. We might want to learn a thing or two from them !!!

Pork vindaloo

2008-10-22T03:00:00.017-04:00

Vindaloo is originally a goan dish, introduced by the portugese . From what I have researched about this mouth watering dish is that it takes after two main ingredients - vinho which means wine or wine vinegar and alhos which is garlic. Over a period of time, vindaloo had taken in different forms and ingredients in each household with the use of red chilles, lime juice, potatoes and so on. Although my mother is a Manglorean, I never learnt this dish from her since she never made pork at home. Maybe it was partly because my dad never ate pork. So it was totally ironic that I had to learn this from my mother-in-law who is a Tamilian.According to me, this is her version of a Tamil style of vindaloo since she adds mustard seeds .It is simple to make, tasty and is best served with white bread.

1 lb - Pork Butt (Cut into 1.5 inch cubes)
2 - Medium Sized Onions
2 - Medium Sized Tomatoes
5-6 - Garlic (Peeled)
2 Tbsp- Vinegar
1 Tsp - Mustard Seeds
5-6 - Curry Leaves
4-5 - Red Chillies( Depending on the level of spiciness)
1 Tsp - Cumin
1 Tsp - Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste

Grind the onions, garlic, cumin and the red chillies in a blender and keep aside.

Grind the tomatoes separately and keep aside.

In a pan or pressure cooker, add one teaspoon oil .When it is hot, add the mustard seeds, wait for the splutter and then add the curry leaves and the ground mixture. Saute the ground mixture well until it becomes brown and forms a thick consistency.

Add the pureed tomatoes, saute well and then add the pork pieces. Add turmeric powder and salt to taste and cook/pressure cook the pork until well done. Once cooked, you should see the pork fat on the top of the curry. Let it boil until it becomes thick of a gravy consistency. Add 2 tbsp of vinegar, remove from heat and serve hot with rice or white bread.

Manchow Soup

2008-09-10T17:08:00.021-04:00

What a roller-coaster ride it has been the last couple of months. From our hectic trip to India, to getting back to California , to our desperate house-hunting process to finally settling down in an apartment had taken an extreme toll on me. I didn't , however, find that perfect kitchen of my dreams that I so wanted to cook in, but the fact that my apartment kitchen was overlooking the greenest of the golf courses was inspiring enough to create and appease our appetites and to satisfy my blog-craving or so I thought.
What I hadn't braced myself for was my totally mobile 12 month old who was constantly behind me and tugging my legs every time I got in the kitchen to cook, and what seemed like a perfectly simple task of cooking became seemingly impossible. So I decided to hold back on my blogging and feeding the family blah blah, and get onto better things, like spending quality time with my daughter. So most of our meals were made ahead when time permitted and frozen or I had to think of dishes I could do in a jiffy while she was taking her blissful nap.But sometimes its oh-so
nice to indulge in something new and nice once in while and today my hands were itching to do - The Manchow Soup - considering the fact that I had all the ingredients right there in my fridge.
I fell in love with this soup on one of my visits to India about 2 years back . I had this in a restaurant called Peking and I absolutely loved it.I was surprised that during all my life in India , I had never tasted this one. Well, I had to have this recipe and of course there's always google. I have made this a couple of times and the dish itself is so wholesome, it can be considered a meal in itself.

The Manchow Soup

1 cup cooked chicken pieces
4 cups chicken stock
1 tsp ginger-finely chopped
1 tsp garlic-finely chopped
1 tsp green chilies-finely chopped
1 tbsp coriander leaves-finely chopped
2 tbsp cabbage-finely chopped
2 tbsp capsicum-finely chopped
2 tbsp mushrooms-finely chopped
2 spring onions-finely chopped
2 tbsp French beans-finely chopped
2 tbsp carrots-finely chopped
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp Soy sauce
4 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 cup water
2 stems of spring onion
2 tbsp oil
salt as required

In a pan, stir fry the chopped ginger, garlic, coriander leaves and green chilies for about 2 minutes.
Add all the chopped vegetables and stir fry for about 3 minutes . Add pepper and salt as desired.
Add the shredded and cooked chicken to the vegetable mixture and saute well.
Add the chicken stock and the soy sauce .Meanwhile, in a small wok, heat up about 1/2 cup oil. When hot, fry the dried noodles , remove immediately, drain on a paper towel and keep aside. When the soup boils, reduce the heat and add the cornflour dissolved with water or chicken stock and stir constantly till it thickens to a soup consistency .
Remove from heat and garnish with crispy fried noodles. Serve immediately.

Mutton Pepper chops

2008-04-28T14:00:00.004-04:00

Moving is always a very stressful and hard decision. Ours was by choice . I missed California and the excitement out there and hence our decision. So here I was packing and getting ready for the big move, all excited until it dawned on me how much I was going to miss this quiet and dainty little town, with its laid back life that I have grown to enjoy. I was definitely going to miss waking up to the sound of the birds and the lush greenery that surrounded me. When you initially move to a new place, you hate it, then when the days go by you start to like it and then when you finally leave , you realize that you love it . So ends my love story with Cary, NC. For now, my kitchen is swiped clean, all the things neatly packed and labelled and stored in the garage for the big move. I am left with a packet of frozen chops and just enough utensils and ingredients to make it thru for the next few days. This is probably the last dish that is cooked in my NC kitchen and the last blog for quite some time until I find another kitchen to put my culinary skills to use.

Ingredients :

1 lb Mutton Chops
2 Onions ( Chopped)

1/2 " Piece Ginger

7-8 Garlic cloves

3 Tsp Pepper Corns
2 Tomatoes

1 Tsp Jeera

Curry Leaves

Coriander

1 Potatoes Sliced

1/2 Sliced Onions

1 Sliced Tomato

Grind together pepper, jeera, ginger and garlic. In a pressure cooker, add oil and saute the onions and curry leaves until the onions become a golden brown. Add the ground masala, saute for a couple more minutes and add the chopped tomatos. When the oil starts surfacing, add the mutton chops and cook for up to 3 whistles or for about 30 minutes on medium heat. When cooked, open the cooked and let the water (if there is) dry out.

Meanwhile, slice the potatoes to 1" thick and add oil in a shallow pan and fry them golden on both

sides.

Add this to the mutton chops, add the sliced onions and tomatoes before serving. Garnish with chopped coriander.Serve hot with rice or roti.

Pantry Raid III

2008-04-22T23:52:00.007-04:00

It was time for the pantry again and this time it was -- Sweet corn chicken soup : The favorite in any Indian chinese restaurant. I havent come across anyone who doesnt like sweet corn chicken soup. This is the ultimate comfort food for either a cold day, a rainy day or a hot summer day. It is " the" chicken soup for the soul....!

Sweet Corn Chicken Soup

Found in my Pantry :

Canned Sweet Corn Cream Style

Canned Whole Corn Kernels

Cornflour

Chicken Stock

Ingredients :

1 Can Sweet Corn Cream style
1 Can Whole Corn Kernels
2 Tbsp Corn flour
5 Cups Chicken Stock
1 Cup Cooked and Shredded Chicken
1 Cup Water
2 Sprigs Green Onion
1 Egg
Salt and Pepper to taste

Add the chicken stock , sweet corn cream style and whole corn kernels in a big dish and set it on the stove. When it boils, add the cooked chicken and let it simmer gently for about 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a cup of water, dissolve the 2 Tbsp of Corn flour. Add this slowly to the soup . If you think that the soup needs to be more thicker , add some more corn flour. Once the soup reaches its desired consistency, beat one egg in a bowl and add this slowly to the soup while still stirring the soup with your other hand. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with sliced green onions. Serve hot.

I like it best with the sriracha hot sauce available at the asian stores here.

Out of the freezer ....

2008-04-21T22:14:00.008-04:00

Vegetable Pulav

Now that I had a few cans and space in my pantry emptied ( although I still have some more to go) it was time for the freezer. It was lunch time and rummaging through my freezer I found some frozen veggies...I am not a great fan of cooking with frozen vegetables...but I always have them on hand in case of food-911 ...!! Hence emerged vegetable pulav...well not really vegetarian since I added chicken stock from the pantry.

Found in the freezer :

French Style frozen beans
Frozen Green Peas

Ingredients :

Basmati Rice - 1 Cup
Ghee - 2-3 Tsp
Onion - 1
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 Tsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 Piece
Cloves 3-4
Bay Leaf - 1
Water - 1 Cup
Chicken Stock - 1 Cup
French Style frozen ( or fresh) Beans - 1/2 cup
Frozen ( or fresh) Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Shredded Carrots - 1/2 cup

Soak the basmati rice in water for about 30 minutes. In a tava, add the ghee . when the ghee is hot add the cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves. Add the sliced onions and saute until it turns transparent. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute well for about 3-4 minutes. Add the beans, carrot and peas. Saute for about 5 minutes.

I usually find the rice cooker the best to make pulav, however you can use the pressure cooker or cook on slow fire. Discard the water that the rice was soaking in, and put the rice in the rice cooker. Add one cup of water and one cup of chicken stock ( Optional - you can use just water) and add the sauteed vegetables mixture into the rice and let the rice cooker do the work for you. In about 20 minutes you should have steaming hot vegetable pulav on your table.

Pantry Raid II

2008-04-20T22:02:00.000-04:00

Tuna Time with Tuna Cutlets

I always have tuna cans on hand...you never know when you might need them. You could make scrumptious sandwiches or tuna melts or throw them in with eggs and make a tuna scramble...the possiblities are endless. This time around, I wanted to do something that would last in the freezer..so I thought I'd make some cutlets. Cutlets usually do well in the freezer..when its lunch or dinner time, all you have to do is to defrost them and fry them and they would still taste great unlike most frozen foods. I have made fish cutlets with tilapia, salmon etc but never with tuna...but it turned out delicious.

Found in my pantry :

Tuna Cans ( In water)
Onions

Ingredients:

Tuna - 3 6oz cans
White Onion - 1
Green chillies - 7-8
Coriander - One bunch
Potatoes - 3
Garlic - 8-9
Ginger - 1" piece
Pepper Powder - 1 Tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 Tsp
Egg - 1
Bread Crumbs - 1 Cup

Cook the potatoes and mash them up. Finely chop onion,green chillies, coriander, garlic and ginger in a food processor or with a knife. In a tava add oil, and add the finely chopped onion, chillies,coriander, garlic and ginger. Saute well for about 5 minutes . Meanwhile, open the tuna cans and drain the water. Add the tuna to the tava and saute for a good 5 minutes until all the ingredients are mixed well. Now, add the mashed potatoes, salt and pepper and mix well. When the mixture is cooled down, make balls out of them and flatten them in the palm of your hand.
Beat one egg in a bowl, and dip the cutlets in this and cover them with bread crumbs.

Shallow fry the fish cutlets in oil on medium high until golden brown on both sides.

Serve with rice or make a sandwich out of it or serve them as a snack with tomato ketchup.

Pantry Raid I

2008-04-20T14:07:00.000-04:00

Ever since we finalised our decision to move back to sunny California...a million thoughts have been racing my mind...all the packing, cleaning, cooking, work, husband, kids.....I didn't know how I was going to do it all , although one thing was sure, I had to clean up my over stocked pantry. The movers were going to move our things based on pounds, and I knew for sure that if they were to move my stuff in the pantry...it would be one hell of a price to pay - LOL.

So I opened my pantry with the hopes of clearing it..but was soon overwhelmed with the idea of making something with each and every thing. So I guess most of it will be donated to friends and the homeless and the needful....but then there were some that could probably be our breakfast , lunch, dinner and dessert for the next couple of days which would literally save me from the trips to the grocery store . Anyways...I had to do what I had to do....so I started off with something that I really really love - Lychee's. One thing I always have in my pantry are canned Lychees - and lots of them. Lychees are one of my favorite fruits..I find canned lychees better and easier to eat than the fresh ones. At home, my son and I almost practically eat them after lunch, after dinner, as a snack, in a shake and sometimes when the sweet craving is beyond these things, I make a lychee pudding.

This recipe was borrowed from my friend, Nirupa who used to make it all the time for pot-lucks and dinners and ever since , has been my favorite dessert. It uses only four ingredients and makes a delicious dessert in no time at all except, of course, for the setting time .

So here goes :

Found in my pantry :

Lychee cans
Condensed milk
Gelatin

Lychee Pudding :

Heavy Whipping cream - 1 Pint

Condensed Milk ( 6 oz can)- 1

Unflavored Gelatin - 2 Packets

Canned Lychee - 2 Cans

Combine the whipping cream and condensed milk in a bowl. I find the pudding a little too sweet when I add the entire condensed milk. I just add half of it. If you prefer it sweeter, you can add more.

Open the lychee cans and reserve one cup of the lychee syrup and throw away the rest. Chop the lychee into four quarters and add it into the cream mixture.

Heat the reserved lychee syrup for about 30 seconds in the micro-wave and add the 2 packets of gelatin in it. When the gelatin completely dissolves in the juice add it to the cream mixture and mix well until well combined. Pour the lychee mixture in a serving bowl or a glass dish and allow to set for about 6-8 hours before serving.

Mutton and Cabbage Curry

2008-04-18T19:55:00.008-04:00

It has been only a good three weeks since we bought any mutton home...and it seemed like an eternity . It was obvious we were craving for it..and seeing my husbands sulking face..I knew it was time to go get some from the halal store , that we had grown to love. So today was the day...This sumptious mutton curry paired with chunks of cabbage is the ultimate lunch on a busy weekday. Top it off with the onion and tomato salad...and you are ready for an afternoon nap.

Ingredients :

Mutton - 1 lb
Onion - 1 Large
Tomatoes - 2
Chilli Powder - 2 Tsp
Coriander Powder - 3 Tsp
Jeera Powder - 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tbsp
Garam Masala - 1 Tsp
Cinnamon Stick - 1/2 inch
Cloves - 3-4
Coconut Milk - 2 Cup
Cabbage - 1/2
Lemon Juice or Vinegar - 2 Tbsp
Coriander leaves - Chopped ( a handful)
Curry Leaves
Salt

In a pressure cooker, add a tbsp of oil. Once hot, add the curry leaves, cinnamon and cloves and the onions. Saute for a couple of minutes until the onions turn a golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute well, until the raw smell of the paste disappears. Add all chopped tomatoes and saute again for about 10 minutes. When you see the oil coming out of the mixture, add all the powders and saute well. Add the mutton pieces and mix well. Add 2 cups of coconut milk, the coriander leaves , salt and one cup of water Pressure cook for about 3 whistles or for about 30 minutes on medium heat or until cooked through. Meanwhile, cut the cabbage ( each layer) into big squares (if you cut them into too small pieces they just disappear in the curry) .

When the mutton is cooked, add the chopped cabbage .Close with a lid and let it cook. Its better you dont pressure cook at this point. Once done, add about 2 Tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar..and check for seasonings. This curry is best served with a simple onion and tomato salad and hot rice.

Onion and Tomato Salad:

2008-04-18T19:30:00.001-04:00

Onion - 1 Tomato - 1
Green Chillies - 3-4
Vinegar to taste
Salt to taste

Slice the onion, tomato and green chillies lengthwise and put them in a bowl. Crush them a little with your hands so the juices get flowing. Add the vinegar and salt to taste.

Serve this with curry and rice , the best combination ever.

An unsual Combination

2008-04-14T23:19:00.031-04:00

Pork Noodles

This dish combines ridge gourd and pork, probably the most unusual combination for noodles. Since ridge gourd is a taste-less vegetable, it does not over power the pork, yet remains in the background to lend a very true taste, uniquely its own. I used pork belly with fat since it tastes better and also because my son adores it but for all you health consious people out there, you can use lean pork or any other meat of your choice.

Ingredients :

Pork - 1/2 lb
Noodles - 8 Ounces ( 5 packets )
Ridge Gourd - 1
Carrot - 1
Beans - 1 cup
Onion - 1/2
Cornflour - 2 Tblsp
Capsicum - 1
Cabbage - 1/3 ( Approx. 1 cup)
Optional: Cauliflower
Optional : Ajinomoto

Sliced Ridge Gourd

Boil noodles according to instructions and keep aside. Slice the carrots and ridge gourd into 1/2 slices. Slice the cabbage, capsicum and onions into squares. You can add cauilflower too..however that is optional.Saute the onions and cabbage in a pan with a little bit of oil and salt for about 10 minutes until the veggies are cooked thru but still remain crunchy.
Remove, keep aside.

Carrot, Beans, Cabbage and Green Peppers

In the same pan, add a tsp of oil add the beans , carrots and green peppers and a little bit of salt and saute until cooked but still crunchy. Keep aside. In the same pan, add the cabbage and gourd. saute for about 5 minutes . These get cooked very fast so take care it does not get over-cooked.

Pressure cook the pork pieces along with 1/2 a cup of water and salt and pepper for about 20 minutes or for upto three whistles . Once the pork is cooked, add the meat to the pan in which you sauteed the veggies. Let the water dry. When there is no more water, add the cooked veggies quickly as the pork fat tends to splatter when it becomes dry.

Saute the veggies for a couple of minutes in the pan along with pork. Check for seasonings and add salt if needed. Add one cup of water. Meanwhile, In another cup of water dissolve two tblsp of corn starch. When the mixture starts to bubble, add the corn starch mixture. The consistency of the sauce should be a little thick , like that of a soup. If you think its watery, add some more corn starch. Once the sauce has reached its consistency, turn off and serve hot with noodles.

I usually serve the noodles and the sauce separately.

Tour de France

2008-03-30T00:46:00.006-04:00

Last week, we went on this trip to France and visited Lourdes, Paris and Bordeaux. The first time I visited France a couple of years back ( the glorious romantic days with my husband) I fell in love with Paris...with the cobble stoned streets, the crowded cafes, the meticulously dressed people, the jam packed streets ...the breathtaking Eiffel tower, the museums , the architecture but most of all the food...! We enjoyed all that the french cuisine had to offer us..from chocolate crepes on the streets to stuffed snails and guinea fowls to exquisite wines and decadent desserts. My husband and I are big fans of food....we eat anything and everything that is laid in front of us...we dare to eat...(considering the fact that Bizarre foods with Andrew Zimmerman is our favorite show)..but unlike my husband I would probably pass on the shark fins and chicken feet.
Posted below are some of the pictures of the dishes I managed to take while eating, despite the stares and shrugs from the waiters.

Guinea Fowl stuffed with liver

Cannelloni stuffed with crab and lobster

Well, so this time when we visited France, it was a totally new experience. Travelling to Paris with a toddler and an infant is no joke...and I looked at Paris in a whole new way..! It is definitely no place for kids...gosh I miss those good ole days. Although the trip was great and we bonded more than ever as a family, my husband and I couldn't enjoy eating as much as we did when we first came. But we had to eat...so in spite of the obstacles we did land in some good top notch
restaurants and had some good food. Most of these restaurants offered foie gras which is a popular french delicacy made from regualr duck or goose liver as an appetizer with bread.
Foie Gras
Most of the villages we passed by from Lourdes to Bordeaux , were making Foie gras in their homes or small processing plants...In this area..Foie gras is as fresh as it gets. It was a pity we couldn't get some back home. Bordeaux was another great place for great food...the imagination and creativity that goes into making the french cuisine so delectable to the palate and pleasing to the eyes is so unique and so very ...french...no wonder it is the most romantic food to have. So, with that said, after every travel, food is what we remember the most.. In conclusion french cuisine reins supreme..( apologies to Iron chef America)

Mom's Mutton Chops

2008-03-21T13:11:00.007-04:00

This recipe always reminds me of the days when my mom made it and we used to literally lick the plate clean. The lamb chops was her ultimate dish and for some reason mine never turns out quite like hers...although this is just enough to make me drool all over.....and lick the plate yet again..!

Ingredients :

Mutton Chops - 1 lb
Tomato - 2
Onion ( large) - 1
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 Tsp
Garam Masala - 1 Tsp
Jeera Powder - 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Chilli Powder - 2 Tsp
Pepper Powder - 1 Tsp
Curry leaves
Salt

Cook the tomatoes in boiling water for about 5-10 minutes. When cooked, remove from water, peel the skin and puree the tomatoes in a blender. In a pressure cooker, add oil, curry leaves and chopped onions and saute until the onions turn golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste, saute for about 3-4 minutes and then add all the powders. Add the pureed tomato and saute well until you see some of the oil on the surface. Add the mutton chops and season it with salt and cook for about 4 whistles or for about 45 minutes on medium heat. Once cooked, open the cooker and saute for a couple of minutes more until the gravy thickens. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with rice and salad or parathas.

Roll the Appam

2008-03-12T22:47:00.000-04:00

Surullapam

Growing up, this used to be my favorite evening snack for tea. Mom used to make it all the time and I devoured each and every single one of them. Well today I opened my freezer and saw this big packet of grated coconut sitting for quite sometime and wanted to do something with it. It was tea-time and of course I made my mom’s surullappam. As I was eating them, my husband watched me intently as I was trying to take a bite with the whole thing intact..the delicate darlings that they are ...and he mentioned the reason why they were called surullappam is …apparently you just roll them up yet again (bottom to top) and eat them… which is a much faster way I guess!! True or not..or maybe he was just kidding..it definitely was a faster way to eat it...cas I had three down in no time at all !!!

Ingredients :

All –Purpose Flour – 1 Cup
Egg – 1
Salt – a pinch
Grated Coconut – 1 ½ Cup
Sugar – 4-5 tsp
Cardamom – 3-4

Whisk the egg in a bowl. Slowly add the all purpose flour. Add a pinch of salt and gradually add water. The batter should be very thin and should have a pouring consistency.

Crush the cardamom pods in a mortar and a pestle. In a bowl, combine the cardamom, grated coconut and sugar, mix well and keep aside.

Heat a flat pan or tava, rub some oil on the tava with a kitchen towel. Pour a ladle full of the batter in the form of a circle starting from the ends of the pan and swirl the pan so the batter comes to the center to form a complete circle. If you do see some holes, just pour a little bit batter to cover them up. This cook in seconds and there’s no need to flip. Add a spoonful of the coconut mixture in the middle and fold one side and roll it all the way to the other end. When serving, garnish with confectioners sugar.

Curry in a Jiffy..

2008-02-11T13:30:00.000-05:00

Coconut Milk Rasam

On days when I am just too lazy to cook, this curry saves my day.It is so quick and fast yet unbelievably tasty. It works best with fried fish or just some plain old pickle.

Ingredients:

Garlic (Sliced ) – 10
Red Chillies – 5-6
Curry Leaves – 8
Turmeric Powder – ½ Tsp
Tamarind paste – 1 Tsp
Coconut Milk – 2 Cups
Water – ½ Cup
Salt to taste

In a kadai, add oil. When hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chillies and garlic. Take care not to burn the garlic. When the garlic turns golden brown, add the coconut milk.

In ½ cup water, dilute the tamarind paste, mix well and add this to the coconut milk. When the curry makes to a boil, add salt and turmeric powder.

Take care not to boil the curry too much, as coconut milk splits up when it is boiled repeatedly. Serve hot with rice.

Beef Sukka Varuval

2008-02-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

Tender pieces of beef makes this sukka varuval appetizing and mouth-watering. For those guys who would love to snack on something with their beer, this dish will probably make the mark.

Ingredients :

Beef (Cut into cubes) – 1 lb
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder – ½ Tsp
Chilli Powder – 1 Tsp
Pepper Powder – 2 Tsp
Garam Masala Powder – 1 Tsp
Jeera Powder – 1 Tsp
Shallots – 10 (Finely Sliced)
Red Chillies (broken in half) – 5 – 6
Water – ½ Cup
Curry Leaves – 7 - 10

Marinate the beef pieces along with all the powders, ginger garlic paste, salt and water for about 5-10 minutes. Pressure cook the marinated beef for about three whistles. When done, remove from stove and keep aside. In a pan, add oil, add the curry leaves and the onions and sauté until golden brown. Add the red chillies sauté for a minute and then add the cooked beef. Sauté until all the water evaporates and the beef is nice and dry. Serve hot with rice.

Liver and Kidney Pepper Fry

2008-01-29T23:23:00.000-05:00

This is one of my husband's and son's favorite dish. My son loves to eat liver and kidney and is a staple dish at home. Its nutritious and high in protein.

Ingredients:

Goat’s Liver / Kidney - 1 lb
Onions – 2
Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 Tsp
Pepper Corns – 3 Tsp
Jeera – 1 Tsp
Chili Powder – 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder – ½ Tsp
Garam Masala – 1 Tsp
Pepper Powder – 1 Tsp
Curry Leaves – 5-7

Coarsely chop the onions. In a blender, add the onions along with the jeera, ginger garlic paste and pepper corns and blend it coarsely.
In a tava, add oil and the curry leaves. Add the onion mixture and sauté well until the raw smell disappears. Add all the powders and add the washed and cleaned liver/kidney to the tava. Add salt. Close the tava until the liver/kidney gets cooked. Take care not to overcook the liver and kidney since they tend to get tougher when overcooked. Once cooked, open tava, and let the water dry out. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with white rice.

Pepper Pork

2008-01-25T23:31:00.000-05:00

Ingredients :

Pork (Cut into cubes) - 1 lb
Onions – 2
Green Chillies – 5-6
Red or Green Bell Pepper – 1
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 Tbsp
Turmeric Powder – ½ Tsp
Pepper Powder – 2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder – 1 Tsp

Finely chop the onions.De-seed and cut the bell pepper into squares. In a pressure cooker add oil, add the chopped onions and green chillies. Saute until the onions turn transparent . Add the ginger garlic paste and the powders. Saute for about 2-3 minutes and add the pork pieces. Pressure cook the pork for about three whistles. Once done, open the cooker and sauté for about 5 minutes more until the gravy is nice and thick and sticks to the pork. Serve hot with rice.

Shrimp with Green & Red Peppers

2008-01-17T01:53:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

Shrimp (Cleaned and De-veined) – 1 lb
Red Bell Pepper (Sliced lengthwise) – 1
Green Bell Pepper (Sliced lengthwise) – 1
Shallots (Thinly Sliced) – 12
Curry Leaves – 5-6
Chilli Powder – 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder – ½ Tsp
Pepper Powder – 1 Tsp
Jeera Powder – ½ Tsp
Ginger/Garlic Paste – 1 Tsp
Coriander (Chopped) – A Handful

In a pan, add oil. When the oil is hot, add curry leaves and the sliced shallots. Sauté until the onions turn glassy and transparent. Add ginger garlic paste, sauté for about 5 minutes and add all the powders. Immediately add the shrimp and salt to taste. Along with the shrimp add the peppers. The shrimp usually cooks fast and you want the peppers nice and crisp and not overcooked. Once the shrimp and the veggies are cooked thru, garnish with a handful of chopped coriander. Serve hot with rice.

Chicken Masala

2007-11-05T17:00:00.000-05:00

A very simple and common chicken dish made in the south. Pleasing to the palate and a great combination to rasam and rice.

Ingredients :

Chicken – 2 lbs (cut into small pieces)
Onions – 2
Tomatoes – 2
Ginger Garlic paste – 2 Tbsp
Garam Masala – 2 Tsp
Coriander Powder – 2 Tbsp
Chilli Powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder – ½ Tsp
Curry Leaves – 10-12
Coriander – handful (chopped)
Salt

In a tava, add oil and add the curry leaves. Add chopped onions and sauté until the onions turn glassy and transparent. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for about 5 minutes until the raw smell disappears. Add the chopped tomatoes and the powders and sauté until you see the oil coming out of the mixture. Add the chicken and the salt .
Close the tava until the chicken is cooked. Open and sauté for about 5 minutes until water evaporates. Garnish with a handful of chopped coriander.

Spicy Shrimp Varuval

2007-10-30T22:00:00.002-04:00

This is a very simple stir fry dish. It uses very few ingredients so the flavor of the shrimp is not over-powered.

Ingredients:
Shallots – 10-15
Tomato Paste - 2 tsp

Garlic – 4-5
Chili Powder – 2 tsp
Pepper Powder – 2 tsp
Garam Masala – ½ tsp
Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
Shrimp (Cleaned and De-veined) – 1 lb
Curry Leaves – 10
Coriander – a handful
Salt as required

Marinate the shrimp with the chili powder, pepper powder, garam masala, Turmeric and salt for about 10 minutes. Finely slice the shallots and garlic. Add oil in a tava, add curry leaves, onions and garlic. Saute until the onions turns brown. Now add the tomato paste and Saute well until it blends with the onions. Add the marinated shrimp and cook covered for about 15 minutes until the shrimp gets cooked. Uncover and fry for a few minutes until it becomes nice and dry. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Kothu Parotta

2007-10-25T21:59:00.001-04:00

Whenever I have some mutton curry leftover from the previous day and of course have some frozen parottas in my freezer, what better dish to make than kothu parotta…its fast, easy and tasty. Makes a good snack or a light supper.

Ingredients

Cooked Parotta- 3
Onion- 1
Garlic – 1 tsp
Green chillies-3
Turmeric- 1/4 tsp
Pepper – 2 tsp
Curry leaves
Eggs-2
Chalna / Mutton curry - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - Handful

Heat oil in kadai and add the curry leaves, chopped onion, garlic , coriander and green chilies. When the onions are cooked and become slightly brown add the parotta and fry for a minute. I would generally shred the parotta before adding it to the kadai. This makes it easier to break them into smaller pieces and blend well with the rest of the ingredients. Now add eggs, salt and pepper. Mix everything together. When the egg is almost done add chalna / mutton gravy and break everything into small pieces using two spatulas. Check for seasonings. Garnish with a little bit of coriander leaves. Serve with raita

Chicken Noodles

2007-09-15T21:36:00.000-04:00

Eating veggies is always a challenge in my house since we are such staunch non-vegetarians. With this dish, atleast three servings of vegetable enters into our system and plus lets not forget the chicken. You can avoid the chicken if you want , it tastes just as good with out it or you can add chicken and shrimp and take it to the next level :-) Its quick , easy and very simple to make.

Ingredients:

Chicken (Cooked and Shredded) – 1 Cup
Carrots – 3 Cups
Beans – 3 Cups
Cabbage – 3 Cups
Onion – 1
Eggs – 4
Soya Sauce – 1 tbsp
Noodles – 8 Ounces

Cook noodles according to the instruction on the package. Strain the noodles and rinse in cold water. Keep aside. Thinly slice length-wise the carrots, beans, cabbage and onions. In a large skillet, add oil and sauté the carrots and beans. Add a pinch of salt. Sauté for about 10 minutes until the veggies are cooked and crisp but not overcooked. Keep aside.
In the same skillet, add onions and cabbage, add another pinch of salt and sauté for 5 minutes. When done, remove and keep aside. The reason I sauté the veggies in this manner is because all these vegetables have different cooking time and when you add all of them together, some get cooked a little more than the others.
In the same skillet, add oil and scramble four eggs. Add chicken, sauté for about 2-3 minutes and add all the vegetables. Add noodles, soy sauce and check for salt. Mix the noodles well and serve hot. You can garnish it with sliced green onions.

Beet Salad

2007-09-11T21:59:00.000-04:00

This is a very refreshing salad. I make this everytime I make Mutton curry. The two blend so well, it almost becomes a sort of like a comfort food.

Ingredients:

Beetroot – 1
Onion – 1
Green Chilies – 3-4
Tomato – 1
Vinegar – 2 tsp
Salt as required

Cook the beet with a little water in a pressure cooker. Slice up the onions, green chilies and tomato lengthwise.Once the beets are cooked slice them up lengthwise. In a bowl, add the sliced beets, onions, green chilies and tomato and crush them a little bit with your hands. This is done to let the juices out of the beets. Add the required amount of salt and add vinegar. The salad is generally a little sour, so if you want to add more vinegar you can do so. Serve with rice and mutton curry.