Tiramisu

Tiramisu is quintessentially Italian, it's smooth, fluffy (like a cloud) and sinful, i'd like to thank Anisha (my sis) for this recipe, it's amazing !!

The recipe below serves six, I've halved the recipe & it works brilliantly. When halved, I layer the tiramisu in large wine glasses instead of a deep serving dish.

Ingredients:

4 eggs, separate yolks & whites

200 gms sugar

250 gms mascarpone cheese

sponge fingers or graham crackers - about 1 packet

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

1 - 2 tablespoons frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) or kahlua or brandy

3/4 cup warm water

Method:

1. The Coffee mix:

Mix coffee, liqueur & warm water, leave aside.

2. Custard mix:

Whisk egg whites till they have soft peaks (fluffy), leave aside.

Whisk egg yolks with sugar till its mixed then whisk in the mascarpone, gently fold in the whisked egg whites to this mix.

Take a deep serving dish (8 inch square with 2 inch depth is adequate for 2-3 layers)

Layer with sponge fingers and spoon a little of The Coffee mix on these, topped with a layer of the custard mix.

Repeat the process till the custard mix is over & is the top layer.

Sprinkle with cocoa powder or grated dark (70%+) chocolate.

Refrigerate for atleast 4-5 hours.

Serve cold.

Basil Pesto

This is really versatile, over toast with or without an egg, mixed into pasta as a dip for crackers or water thins. Use good quality ingredients, it really makes a hug difference. The basil can be replaced with parsley, works as well as the basil.

Ingredients:

1 large bunch basil, washed & roughly chopped.

1/2 cup roasted pine nuts

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Zest of one lime

1-2 cloves of garlic (more or less, depending on the strength of your garlic and your love of garlic)

1/2 - 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon pepper

salt, to taste

Method:

In a blender mix all the ingredients, except the olive oil, salt & pepper.

When everything comes together roughly, slowly add olive oil till everything blends well.

Store in a sterilized jar.

This will last for about 2 weeks, refrigerated.

Pasta with veggies !

This is really really easy, absolutely delicious & very flexible. Initially, I use to make this using spinach and its gradually evolved to a mix veg pasta !

Ingredients:

300 gms pasta (for two)

1/2 red capsicum, chopped (big pcs)

1 - 2 zucchini's, chopped (big pcs)

1 big broccoli flower chopped to relatively big florets

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4-5 large mushrooms (swiss browns taste really good with this), chopped

1 large clove garlic finely chopped

1 red chilly (optional), finely chopped

Olive oil to cook

dried mixed herbs

pepper, to taste

salt, to taste

1 large pot of boiling water, well salted (to cook the pasta)

Parmesan or Cheddar cheese, for garnishing.

Method:

In the large pot of well salted boiling water, add the broccoli, cover & cook for 1-2 mins, take out the broccoli & refresh under cold running water. Keep aside.

Then, bring the water to a boil, again & add the pasta & cook as per packet instructions (normally 12-14 mins for dry pasta), if you're using fresh pasta, follow the instructions !!

While the pasta is boiling,

Put a large (non-stick) pan on high heat, add olive oil then garlic (to flavor the oil)

Add zucchini & mushrooms. Stir fry till the zucchini starts browning up and the mushrooms start to shrivel down, add onions, red chilly, dried herbs, pepper & salt to taste, reduce heat and cook till onions soften up.

Add red capsicum, broccoli & cooked pasta, mix & warm everything through.

Serve up, garnish with grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese.

You're gonna love this !!

Banana Bread

This is delicious .... another winter warmer, for your heart & your tummy :)

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup brown sugar (pack the cup down)

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs (lightly whisked)

50 gms butter, melted & cooled

3 over ripe banana's, mashed

walnuts, handful - chopped

Method:

Grease a loaf tin & preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Mix - flour, baking powder & cinnamon, sift this or mix with a whisk

Add sugar to the Flour mix

In a separate bowl (large) mix milk, eggs, butter and mashed banana's

Add flour into this mix gradually

Add walnuts in the end

Pour batter into loaf tin & bake for 45 - 50 mins

Check at 40 mins with a skewer.

Butter Chicken or Butter Paneer

This is how you kill a bird with two stones, I adore multi purpose recipe's and this is definitely multi purpose. If you're in the mood for chicken or vegetarian and would like to replace the chicken for paneer !

Butter chicken (not paneer) is a little bit more complicated coz it's made from chicken tikka, but this recipe prepare's the chicken, tikka style and cut's out all the drama of marinating overnight, making tikka and then making the butter chicken.

This really works, and unlike the commercial butter chicken / paneer this is NOT sweet and does not have cream and butter is strictly optional, so it's my version on butter (not) chicken :)

Ingredients:

Chicken 300 gms or 150 gms paneer - cubed

1 1/2 teaspoons Ginger Garlic paste

1 teaspoon chilly powder

2 teaspoons coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 large onion - finely chopped

1 teaspoon kasoori methi

1/4 cup cashew, pureed with milk or water

2 large tomatoes

1 green chilly - finely chopped

salt to taste

2 pinch's sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

salt to taste

Oil to cook

1/2 teaspoon ghee or 1 teaspoon butter - both optional !

Preparing the chicken:

To the chicken, add, 1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, salt to taste, 1/4 teaspoon chilly powder, 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder.

Set the chicken aside for 5-10 mins.

Add oil to a pan on med-high heat and stir fry the chicken till its golden brown on the outside.

Preparing the paneer:

Here's the thing, in an ideal world the paneer is cubed & deep fried - restaurant style (so that the paneer holds together), if you have access to fresh paneer & are serving this for a dinner party, cube the paneer & deep fry it, if all you have at hand is cubed frozen paneer, don't bother !!

Method:

In a pan, on medium heat, add oil & ghee or butter.

Add cumin seeds, let them crackle and then add onions.

Sorte till they're transparent-ish

Add ginger garlic paste, stir about !

Add coriander powder, chilly powder, kasoori methi, cashew paste, green chilly, sugar & chopped tomatoes.

Cook on medium heat till the oil splits.

Turn off and let the mix cool till it's ready to blend.

Blend the mix in a blender and add back into the pan.

Add chicken or paneer, add salt to taste & milk.

Cover & cook for 5-7 mins

Sprinkle with garam masala & cover and cook for 2-3 mins.

Serve hot with Parantha / Naan and 'any' quintessential Punjabi Bollywood movie :)

Brussel Sprouts !

This is unbelievably delicious and unbelievably healthy ..... it's the only way i know how to cook brussel sprouts (as of now) ..... enjoy !!

Ingredients:

300 gms brussel sprouts

pepper to taste

1 pinch sugar

dry italian herbs (optional)

olive oil 1 tablespoon

Method:

-trim the brussel sprouts and drop them into, well salted, boiling water for 3-4 mins, they'll turn bright green !

-refresh them under cold water

-cut the brussel sprouts into half, lengthwise

-add olive oil to a frying pan (med. heat) and throw in the sprouts.

-add pepper, sugar & herbs

- cook for 3-4 mins till the surface of the sprouts start to caramelize

Serve hot !

For a change, grate some Parmesan over :)

Kada Halwa

My masi makes the best halwa, this is her recipe ....... it's simple and spectacular !

Ingredients:

1 cup fine sooji (semolina)

1/4 cup besan (chickpea flour)

1/4 cup atta (whole wheat flour)

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 cups water

2 tablespoons of pure ghee

Garnishing: Slivered almonds, raisins/currants soaked in warm water (optional)

Method:

-Dry roast sooji, besan & atta in a wok/kadai/nonstick pan (whatever you have at hand) on low heat, stirring continuously, till light brown and fragrant.

-Take off the heat and pour onto a plate or bowl, leaving the dry roast mix in the roasting pan will burn the mix.

-Add water & sugar in a pan and put on low heat till the sugar dissolves in the water, don't boil !

-Leave the sugar mix aside.

-Place a pot/wok on medium heat and add ghee.

-Then add the dry roasted mix and stir the mix !

-Add the sugar syrup & stir continuously till the semolina mix swells up, it'll only take 2-3 mins.

-Garnish with slivered almonds or soaked raisins or chopped cashews or nothing at all !!

Best enjoyed hot !

Fish in Banana Leaves

This is brilliant, I have to thank Vinit (my husband) for this concoction ....... it's genius !

It tastes magnificent, it's super healthy and unbelievably quick !

Ingredients:

-Banana Leaf - 1 big leaf is more than adequate for 2-3 fillets of fish. Cut into 4-6 pcs.

-2-3 fillets of white fish -skin on (even if you don't like/eat the skin, leave it on it really holds the flavour)- Snapper, Tilapia, Barramundi .... any firm white fish !

-Fresh Coriander - 1 bunch

-1 inch Ginger

-1 clove Garlic

-1 green chilly

- salt to taste

- juice of half a lime

-1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

- 1 teaspoon oil

-wooden toothpicks 2-3 per package, soak in water or metal skewers!

- oven tray with 2 layers of foil, shiny side up !

Method:

-Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius

-Prepare banana leaves - To make them flexible for folding, wilt in single layers, or slightly overlapping, in a 180C oven for 5-10 minutes. An alternative method of wilting is to place the leaves directly over the coils of an electric range on low heat, or pass them carefully over the low flame of a gas range. Be careful not to burn them unduly. Wipe with a damp kitchen cloth or paper towel.

- Blend coriander leaves, chilly, ginger, garlic, salt, lime juice, cumin powder, oil - to a paste, chutney, add a few teaspoons of water if reqd.

- Preparing the fish - clean the fish under cold water (always under cold water), cut the fillets if they're too big !

- Salt the fish

- Spread a layer of the coriander paste over the fish (not the skin side)

- Leave for 5 mins.

-Wrap up in banana leaf and close the package with wooden toothpicks or skewers.

-Place fish packages on oven tray

-Place the oven tray in the oven for 5-7 mins

Enjoy !

Pizza - super thin crust

This recipe is extremely forgiving and brilliant ...... and quite lazy as well, yeast does a third of the work and a third is done by the oven ..... making life easier !! I have made pizza's using this recipe A LOT of times ..... add whatever you want, serve topped with olives, sundried tomatoes, dressed salad leaves, fresh basil ... anything you fancy, or nothing at all !

Though this recipe is for four it can be doubled for eight or halved for two (as I do, its just that the measurements become odd when trying to write a recipe for two eg. 5/6 th of a cup (1/2 cup + 1/3 cup) .... it's easier to calculate on your own .... trust me !! )

And, though, this recipe looks really long ...... a lot of it depends on your personal preferences !

The Base:

Ingredients for the dough:

1 2/3 cup plain flour

3.5 gms of dry yeast (1/2 of a 7 gm sachet)

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup warm water (not too cold or not too hot)

2 teaspoons olive oil

Method for the dough:

Add yeast, olive oil and salt to the warm water and let it stand for 5 minutes.

After, 5 mins, just add this mix to the flour (placed in a big bowl ...... giving it enough room to double)

Knead the dough ...... dont worry if its too sticky !

Cover the dough with cling wrap and leave in a warm place (under a bright light is fine) for an hour ..... a little more is fine, but a little less restricts the airiness, so don't !

The Sauce for the base:

Tomato paste 4 teaspoons (heaped) ... one per person

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 pinches of sugar (cuts the tartness of the tomato paste)

1/2 teaspoon mixed dried herbs of your choice ... italian, pizza mixes ..... anything !

1 teaspoon olive oil

Toppings:

Grated mozzarella cheese 250 gms (more or less depending on how cheesy you want your pizza to be)

All toppings are optional:

2 sliced onions (medium)

2 tomatoes (medium) - de-seeded & sliced

3-4 small eggplants (not the big roasting kind .... japanese (thin long) are good)

5-6 mushrooms sliced

Capsicum - sliced

Chicken (pre-cook and add t0 the pizza 3-4 minutes before its ready)

Fresh Rosemary - hand shredded

Chopped green chillies

........ you get the drift, anything goes ..... it's pizza !!

Garnishing (optional):

Chopped olives

Chopped sundried tomatoes

Fresh Basil

Method:

-Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees celsius

-Divide the dough into 4 portions

-Throw some flour on the surface for rolling the dough

-Roll out the dough (thickness - 0.5 cms - more or less on personal preference)

-Spread tomato paste mix on base

-add a layer of grated mozzarella

-top with chopped chillies & rosemary

-add layers of all the toppings your hear desires, the only thing to remember is that if eggplant is right on top, please brush the eggplant with some olive oil (it burns quite quickly)

-bake for 15-20 mins in the center of the oven, depends on your personal preference for crispiness .....

-top with garnishes of your choice & serve up !

Red Curry

This is not my recipe ..... it's Jamie Oliver's recipe for red curry. It does work !!

The red curry paste:

Blend/Paste/Puree:

2 cloves garlic

1 1/2 inches ginger

1/2 bunch fresh coriander

1 big red chilly or 2 small green (add or reduce depending on your love for chillies)

2 stalks lemon grass

1 heaped teaspoon tomato paste

3-4 roasted bell pepper slices (from a jar)

4-5 kaffir lime leaves

1-2 tablespoons soya sauce (light soy)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons veg/sunflower oil (use olive oil, if that's what you have)

The balance ingredients:

If you fancy chicken then 300 gms

Veggies of your choice : sugar snaps, beans, capsicum, capsicum, broccoli

1 can coconut milk

fresh coriander to garnish

Method:

Add oil to a pan (med-high heat)

If, you're making chicken curry add the chicken, brown it up and then,

Add the red curry paste and cook till its heated through and fills the air with all the awesomeness ever.

add the veggies (except for the broccoli, add this just 2-3 mins before you take this off the heat (theres nothing worse that overcooked broccoli)

add coconut milk, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer till a thin layer of oil appears.

garnish with fresh coriander.

serve with boiled rice & fresh lime !

Hara Bhara Kabab

This is a personal favourite it often is a full meal for us ..... serve up with a salad, fresh bread, coriander chutney and/or a squeeze of the reliable tomato ketchup. You'll get addicted .... this is brilliant !

Ingredients:

3-4 medium potatoes

3/4 cup green peas (frozen ... as always)

10-12 leaves of spinach (if you're using baby spinach .... double the number)

2 green chillies, finely chopped (more or less or none, ask your taste buds !! )

1 inch pc ginger, very finely chopped (this creates magic, so if you're serving up to someone who dislikes ginger, replace it with ginger paste .... these kababs are lifeless without the ginger)

2-3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander

1 teaspoon chaat masala

1 tablespoon cornflour (2 tablespoons if you're intending to deep fry these ... i never have, coz it doesnt do anything for the flavour)

Salt, to taste

1/4 cup Wheat flour / Refined flour. spread on a plate. for coating the tikkis.

Method:

- Boil potatoes and mash.

- Boil peas and mash.

-Blanch spinach leaves for 2-3 mins in boiling water. Drain and refresh under cold water then squeeze out excess water. Finely chop.

- Add chillies, coriander, ginger, chaat masala, salt. Mix well.

- Add the cornflour and mix well (this will bind everything together)

- Divide the mixture into tikki shapes.

- dust with wheat flour/refined flour.

- take a nonstick fry pan and add oil, warm up on medium heat.

- pan fry kababs 4-5 at a time till golden brown.

ENJOY !!

Muesli Bars

I've never been a big fan of muesli bars/granola bars only b'coz the commercial one's taste TERRIBLE, this recipe is a mix of a couple of recipes picked up from here and there and I have made these sooooooo many times .... its a winter standard snack for us and keeps well too !! It makes for a great 4 p.m snack and I must confess that I've had these for breakfast a couple of times (while running late for classes) ........ they're addictive and surprisingly easy to make !!

Dry ingredients:

3 1/2 cups rolled oats (roasted taste better but unroasted work as well)

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup wheat germ (if you're not a fan ... increase the nuts or add chopped pecans or chopped hazelnuts)

1/4 cup sesame seeds

a handful or dried apricots (chopped) or raisins (personally, i dislike fruit in muesli or muesli bars so i skip this and replace by 1/4 cup sunflower seeds)

1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon

Dry Method:

Mix everything in a large bowl.

Wet ingredients:

2 teaspoons vegetable/sunflower oil

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup brown sugar (i use fine ground .... but it doesn't really matter)

1/2 cup 70% dark chocolate or smooth peanut butter (i've also tried nutella and it did NOT work)

Method:

Put all the ingredients in a pan and put on low heat till everything comes together. Maintaining a low heat is essential & stir continuously, it'll only take a 2-3 mins.

Final Mix Up :

Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixed ingredients and mix till everything clings on.

Put everything on a baking tray / cookie tray and press down firmly.

Bake for 15 mins at 130 degrees Celsius.

Take it out, let it cool down and cut with a thick knife if you like everything in line or just break it up and store.

Pepper Chicken Chettinaad

This is one of my favorite recipe's, its simple, quick and sooooooo delicious !

Ingredients :

300 gms chicken (breast/ thigh - boneless) chopped into approx 1 sq. inch pcs

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

2 pcs. green cardamom pods

2 pcs. cloves

1/4 cinnamon quill

1-2 bay leaves

1 large onion finely chopped

2 tomatoes finely chopped

1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (fresh is best !!)

2 split green chillies

8-10 curry leaves

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 - 1 tsp chilly powder (depending on the strength of the chilly powder & personal preference)

1 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder

salt - to taste

fresh coriander

oil to cook !

Method:

Add oil to a pan (always use non stick pans ...... makes life very very very easy)

crackle mustard seeds

then add cumin seeds

when the cumin starts to sizzle

add - green cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon quill, bay leaves

add onions and saute till light brown (on a medium flame)

add - turmeric pwdr, ginger garlic paste (sorte till you can smell the ginger & the garlic .... you will)

then add curry leaves & split chillies - mix up

follow up by adding - tomatoes, chilly pwdr, coriander pwdr & cumin pwdr

on a low to medium flame cook till the oil separates ..... this will happen pretty quickly with a non stick pan .....

add the chicken & salt .... mix

cover & cook till chicken is done .... this'll take about 7 - 10 mins

add pepper powder & fresh coriander stir in and serve.

Savored best with steamed rice !!

Carrot Cake

So, I was chatting with Natasha (my cousin) over ideas on the first recipe and she keenly wrote 'dessert dessert dessert' and I ran her through recipes of sweet treats that I have successfully made, and she chose Carrot Cake. This recipe is a successful mix of a few carrot cake recipes that i've tried. This version is a cake without icing, lasts longer, feels a little less indulgent & somehow tastes better. So here goes ........

CARROT CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cup brown finely ground sugar (demerara sugar works as well - just grind it to a castor form)

3/4 cup vegetable oil or sunflower oil

3 eggs - roughly whisked

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bi carb soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger - optional

2 1/2 cups grated carrots (i have a stick blender and so the only way i can grate carrots is by hand ...... which is a no no, so i fine chop the carrots in the stick blender, works quite well)

3/4 cup chopped nuts (I prefer walnuts but a mix of pecans & sultanas are fine as well. Also, don't put the walnuts in a bag and bash them a rough chop is much better, trust me !! )

METHOD:

- Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

- Mix Sugar & Oil till its well blended (takes about 2-3 mins with an electric mix, a little longer while hand whisking ..... but this is the only necessary step in this)

- Add eggs gradually and mix well

- In a separate bowl sift flour, bicarb soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger. (i dont have a sift so i add everything to a bowl and whisk it all with a dry whisk - it introduces the same airiness to the dry ingredients)

- Add this to the sugar / egg / oil mix

- Finally, add in the grated carrots & nuts.

Pour into a greased tin (22 cm round tin or a loaf tin) & bake for 55-60 mins.

Take it out - Let it cool for 20-25 mins - slice and enjoy !

Sharing Meal Ideas

I'd like to think i'm pretty decent at cooking. But over time I have learnt to understand ingredients, which helps create new and delightful concoctions. Searching for recipes is quite a regular thing with me but recipes are often abandoned bcoz they're meant to feed 6 -8 ppl and at home on a regular night its just us and all we need is dinner for two !

The purpose of this blog is to add all the recipes & meal ideas accumulated in my (now) over soggy notebook, and help create (for the most part) simple quick meals. I'm not (yet) competing with Jamie Oliver's '30 minute meals' coz for that you need a pantry the size of a mini mart !

It's just food that is relatively easy to create, has been definitely tried and tested and everyone will love.

I'd be happy to post (research & test) recipes on demand, and would love new recipes in return !

xoxo