Apple Crumble

This is one of the easiest desserts to put together and it never fails to impress! You don't need to confine yourself to apples only. I have used bananas, plums, peaches and pears with great success.

                          

The crumble

Flour                    1 cup

Butter         (cold)          ½ cup, cut into pieces

Demerara sugar    ½ cup

The filling

Apples                 4 nos, peeled, cored and sliced

Brown sugar                  ¼ cup if the apples are tart.

2 Tbls should suffice if the apples are sweet.

Cinnamon            ¼ tsp

Nutmeg                ¼ tsp

Raisins (opt)                  2 Tbls

Method

Butter a 9x12” glass dish lightly. Arrange the sliced apples in the dish and sprinkle the sugar and spice powders over the apples. Sprinkle the raisins on top.

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter along with the sugar into the flour, using the tips of your fingers only, in order to keep the mixture light, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

You can use a pastry blender as well.

Spread the crumble mixture evenly over the apples in the dish and press down lightly.

Bake in a moderately hot (375°F, 190°C) preheated oven for about 45 mins to an hour or until the crumble starts to brown on top.

If you find that your crumble topping is browning too quick, cover the dish with aluminium foil until the apples are cooked when poked with a skewer.

Serve either warm or cold with fresh cream or ice cream.

Crumble tip: You can use oats along with the flour as a variation. 1:1

                     Cornflakes and flour 1:1 along with 2 Tbls of chopped walnuts works well too.

Stuffed Capsicum (Bell peppers)

This filling is awesome to use in toasted sandwiches as well! 

I always like to blanch capsicum before filling. This way the oven time is reduced and the vegetable retains its shape.

The quantities mentioned for the filling can be used to fill four large capsicum halves. 

Capsicum                       3 large

Cut these into half and remove all the pith and seeds taking care that you don’t damage the halves while doing this. Choose capsicums that are flat at both ends so that you can stand them up on a tray after filling.

Blanch the capsicums for about 4 – 5 mins. Drain well. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

The filling

Oil                                                     1 ½ Tbs

Onion, chopped fine                          ½, cup

Paneer (Indian cottage cheese)          200 gms, grated

Green chillies (opt)                            2, chopped fine

Corn, cooked                                     ½ cup

Mint, chopped fine                             2 Tbs

Seasoning

Cheese sauce                                     made out of 1 ½ cups of liquid

Breadcrumbs for sprinkling on top

Method

Heat the oil and sauté the onions until just wilted. Add the grated paneer and the green chillies and stir for about 3 – 4 mins until the mixture starts clumping together. 

Stir in the cooked corn and the finely chopped mint. Season lightly, keeping in mind that the cheese sauce will have salt as well. I used paprika and a sprinkling of garlic salt.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Cheese sauce

Butter                                                1 ½ Tbs

Oil                                                     1 tsp

Flour                                                 ¼ cup

Milk                                                  1 cup

Vegetable stock from blanching corn  ½ cup

Salt &pepper to taste

Cheese                                              ⅓ cup grated

Gently heat the butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pan, stir in the flour and cook over medium heat for 1 or 2 mins stirring continuously with a wire whisk. Add the milk and the vegetable stock and gently bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Reduce heat and simmer for a couple of mins. The mixture will thicken considerably. Remember that the sauce is to be used for binding the filling together so that it holds together when stuffed into the capsicum.

Add seasoning, turn off the heat and blend in the grated cheese.

Blend the filling into the cheese sauce and let it cool.

Fill the capsicum cases with the filling. Even out the top. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and bake in a hot oven for about 25 mins or until the tops are evenly browned.

You can also cook them in a microwave oven (combination mode) for about 15 mins.

 Very good as a side dish with roasted meat.

Chicken Tart.

Do you drool when you see all those delectable pies and tarts that are displayed in a pastry shop?  Then, drool no more!

 Roll up your sleeves and get rid of the mental block you have about making pastry at home. It is NOT difficult! Besides, once you get the hang of making pastry it is a gratifying cooking moment, believe me! You will never want to eat store bought pastry again. You will also be in control of the ingredients that go into your tart.

I am giving you step by step instructions with pictures.  Do try it out and get back to me.

 This tart has been made with left over pieces of chicken blended into a rich coconut sauce and baked in a short crust pastry case.

For added flavour use desiccated coconut powder in your pastry base! Give it a go, its yuuuummmmm!

Chicken Tart

Size of dish or quiche tin         9” diameter, well greased

Short crust pastry

Flour                                        180 Gms

Salt                                           ¾ tsp

Desiccated coconut powder     1 ½ Tbs

Chilled butter                           90 Gms

Chilled water                           2-3 Tbs approx

Sift together the flour, salt and coconut powder into a wide shallow bowl.

Cut the butter into small pieces and rub it into the flour using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. In order to achieve a light pastry you need to handle the dough with care.

Mixture resembling breadcrumbs

 To incorporate the butter into the flour, scoop up as much of the pastry mixture as you can with your fingertips. Lift your hands up above the bowl and flick your thumbs across the tips of your fingers allowing the mixture to fall back into the bowl, thus forming crumbs. Continue doing this until the butter has been absorbed, taking care not to overwork the mixture.

Add water a little at a time, stirring with a palette knife until the mixture begins to stick together. Collect into a ball and work it gently for a few seconds to get a firm, smooth dough. The pastry can be used straight away but is better, if allowed to rest covered, for at least 15 mins or overnight in the fridge.

When required, sprinkle a little flour on a board or table, and roll out the dough evenly, turning occasionally, and taking care to always roll in one direction, from centre outwards.

I roll my pastry in between two sheets of transparent plastic. This way I can minimise the use of flour during rolling.

Roll out to a thickness of about 1/8” without pulling or stretching, to a diameter of about 10”. To line the dish or tin, lift the dough by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Place the rolling pin with the dough on it over your dish or tin and unroll the dough onto it carefully. 

Gently press the dough into the shape of the dish or tin with your fingers easing it up the sides and into the fluted edges, if any. Patch up any holes or cracks using pieces of leftover dough. Take off any surplus dough by running a rolling pin over the top. Leave the lined dish or tin in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

The filling.

Oil                                           2 Tbs

Onions (minced)                      ½  cup

Garlic (minced)                        1 Tbs

Green chillies (opt)                  2-3 minced

Cooked chicken (flaked)          1 ½ cupful

Celery salt                               a sprinkling

Paprika to taste

Coconut sauce                         2 cupfuls

Grated cheese                          ½ cup

Method

Heat the oil gently in a heavy bottomed pan and sauté the onions, garlic and green chillies until limp and fragrant.

Add the cooked chicken celery salt and the paprika keeping in mind that the cheese and coconut sauce contains salt as well!

Stir until well incorporated into the mixture and dry. Remove from heat and set aside while you prepare the coconut sauce.

Coconut sauce

Butter                             1 Tbs

Oil                                  ½ Tbs

Flour                              ⅓ cup

Coconut milk                 1 ½ cups

Chicken broth made up of 1 chicken cube and ⅓ cup of water

Salt to taste

Heat the butter and oil gently in a heavy bottomed pan. Using a whisk for best results add the flour all at once and whisk vigorously for a couple of minutes taking care that the mixture doesn’t burn. Take the pan off the heat and pour in the coconut milk and the chicken broth gradually, whisking all the time in order to prevent lumps from forming.

Put the pan back on the heat and continue whisking until the mixture thickens to a sauce like consistency. Take the pan off the heat.

Add the reserved chicken filling and the cheese into the sauce. Let it cool a bit before filling the pastry case.

 Preheat your oven to 375°F / 190°C. Bake your pastry case ‘blind’ for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and fill it up with the prepared filling, levelling it out evenly. Bake for about 30 mins until brown and firm on top.

Serve warm with buttered vegetables and a salad.

* Baking blind: This means to bake your pastry case without any filling in it. What you need to do is to prick holes in the pastry case with a fork in order to prevent it from rising during baking.

Summer is here!

THIS POST WAS MEANT FOR THE MONTH OF MAY! 

From my kitchen window.

Down the road.

Summer in Chennai!

I have been away for so long. It feels like I had given up on my blog! I had family visiting and we had a wonderful time. 

Now if you are wondering who would be crazy enough to visit Chennai in May, well, you can put the blame on MANGOES!

My son and family who normally visit in winter miss out on Indian mangoes each time. So this time around they decided to take the plunge in MAY! We just had to work our way around this to stay comfortable. We remained indoors most of the time. I stocked up on all the different varieties of mangoes available. All other seasonal fruit like chikus, guavas, jamuns, melons of varying shapes and sizes, leechees and noongoos (from the palmira palm) formed part of the repertoire. All I can say is that we had a ball!!

The most enjoyable part was introducing these new fruits to my little two and a half year old grandson, Neal. For him it was Mangoes All The Way! 

Neal sharing a moment with his 100 year old great grand mother.

I wrote this post in May with all good intentions of publishing it but of course I fell prey to the Mango Monsters!!

We are bang in the middle of summer here in India and the heat is unbearable. Chennai goes through this extremely warm (read scorcher) phase of about a month when nothing seems to be effective in alleviating ones discomfort.

AC s have to work full time provided the power supply is regular! The transformers are so overloaded that they often trip, adding to ones misery.

One has to drink gallons and gallons of liquid to keep cool.

Watermelons make their appearance at around this time of the year, albeit for a short time only. One just has to make the most of it.
We had to stay hydrated all day and what better way than consuming jugfuls of chilled watermelon juice with a hint of mint!

Watermelon cooler

This year I didn't need to sweeten the juice at all. I made sure I bought really heavy fruit to ensure a good amount of juice. I then cut it up into chunks and put it into my blender with a juicer attachment. The seeds get separated and there you are. All I did was throw in some finely chopped fresh mint. let it sit for a bit in the fridge to let the flavours develop. A squeeze of lime if you wish. I prefer mine without. 
About the most amazing thirst quencher ever!! 
The best part is that watermelon has negative calories. One expends more energy in trying to digest it therefore using up calories!! Truly a slimmers dream come true.

Differently flavoured!

This is one of the tastiest of khar preparations and I am sure all true blue Asomias will back me up on that! Ideally, one would use the indigenous khar, a decoction prepared from the ashes of the Athiya banana tree, to impart its distinctive flavour to this dish. However, it may be substituted with baking soda with equally good results.

In a typical Assamese meal Khar is served as the first course, always with plain boiled white rice.

 For first timers it might be a bit of an acquired taste in a pleasant sort of a way! It is light without any strong flavoured spices, easy on the palate and good for digestion too.

You can actually taste the vegetable you are cooking. So folks, be adventurous and go for it! Fish eaters can add fried fish during the last stages of cooking.

Omitaar khar   ( Raw papaya khar)

Raw papaya                            1 medium, peeled and cubed 4 – 5 cupfuls

Mustard oil                             2 tsps

Fenugreek seeds                      ¾ tsp

Moong dhal (yellow lentil)       ¼ cup

Green chillies                          2 – 3 or to taste

Khar                                     2 Tbls if available

OR

Baking soda                            ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Hot water                                 ½ cup

Ginger paste                            1 Tbls

Garlic paste (opt)                    1 ½ tsp

Coriander leaves                      ⅓ cup

Method

Heat the mustard oil to smoking point in a wok. Let it cool a bit before throwing in the fenugreek seeds. They will splutter for a bit before starting to turn black.

Add the chopped papaya, Moong dhal, green chillies, khar or baking soda and a little bit of salt. Stir to blend the ingredients well. Turn the heat down and cover the wok.

The vegetable will start releasing its juices before it turns into a pulpy mass due to the action of the khar. If you find it turning a bit dry before it is completely cooked you can add some hot water at this stage.

Fish eaters may add fried fish now. (In Assam, we eat fresh water fish which is cleaned; cut into bite sized pieces and smeared with turmeric and salt before being fried in mustard oil).

Cook until the vegetable is done. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and the coriander leaves, and check seasoning.

Remove from heat and serve with rice with a few drops of mustard oil for extra flavour.

Cauliflower with flavour!

Gobi Methi (Cauliflower with dried fenugreek leaves)


This recipe I just had to post! It is a bit similar to my post of a few days ago and yet different. Curd to make it slightly tangy. Ginger and garlic for extra flavour.

Cauliflower                              4 cups when separated into florets

Oil                                           2 Tbls + 1

Salt to taste

Dried fenugreek leaves              3 Tbls

Onion                                     1med, ½ cup chopped

Garlic paste                            1 Tbl

Ginger paste                           1 Tbl

Chilli powder                          1 tsp or to taste

Turmeric powder                     ½ tsp

Green chillies (opt)                   2 or more

Curd                                        ½ cup, well mixed

Hot water

Ghee                                        2 – 3 tsps

Method

 Clean cauliflower. Separate into florets.  Soak in cold water for about half an hour. This helps to plump it up. Drain really well. I put it through a salad spinner. Water clinging to the vegetable will affect the browning process.

Heat 2 Tbls of the oil in a wok and fry the cauliflower until it looks slightly singed all over. Remove from wok and set aside. In the same wok, add the dried fenugreek leaves and sauté for a bit until crisp, taking care not to let them char. This should take under a minute. Mix this into the cauliflower.

Add the remaining oil to the wok and sauté the chopped onions until limp. Add the next four ingredients along with the green chillies and 2 Tbls of curds. Blend well and cook on low heat, stirring all the time. The liquid will evaporate. Continue adding the curds in this way until everything is used up and the masala (spice mixture) is well fried.

Stir in the fried cauliflower and blend until the vegetable is well coated with the spice mixture. Continue cooking over low heat, partially covered. You might need a sprinkling of hot water from time to time in order to prevent excessive browning.

Cook until a little bit of crunch remains.  Mix in the ghee and remove from heat.

This is the way I like it.

 However, if somebody prefers the vegetable to be really well done then it is their choice! Continue cooking until fork tender.

Serve with chapattis, dhal and a raitha (yogurt salad).

Stewed guavas with a difference!

A good way to eat stewed guavas. Simple to make and full of flavour!

Image by BeautifulFreePictures.com

Guava cups

Guavas                          4

Water                            2 ½ cups

Sugar                             1 ½ cups

Custard powder             4 Tbls

Milk                               1 cup

Seedless grapes and or dried fruit

Method

Wash and peel guavas. Cut each guava horizontally to get two hemispheres. Cover the guavas with the water and sugar in a stewing pan.

Bring to a gentle boil, stirring carefully until the sugar dissolves. Cook until the guavas are fork tender. This might take about 20 mins.

Remove from heat and cool completely.

Lift the guavas carefully out of the stewing liquid. Reserve the liquid. Scoop out the seeds from the guavas and discard. Arrange guava cups in a dish and set aside.

Blend together the custard powder, milk and the reserved liquid and bring to a gentle boil. Cook until the mixture thickens to coating consistency.

Remove from heat and cool a bit.

Fill the guava cups with the grapes or dried fruit if you wish and pour the custard over. Chill. Serve with a dollop of cream or ice cream.

Flavourful spuds!

This dish is everyday fare in a lot of  North Indian homes. It is simple to make and very flavourful. I have used dried fenugreek leaves which come in cartons all year round. But, if you do have access to the fresh variety you have to use that instead. It takes slightly longer but definitely well worth the effort!

Aloo Methi (Potatoes cooked with dried fenugreek leaves)          Serves 4

Oil                                                               2 ½ Tbls

Potatoes                                                      ½ kg, scrubbed, peeled, diced and soaked   

                                                                        in salted water for 30 minutes

Dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi)           3 – 4 Tbs

Salt to taste

Chilli powder                                              2 tsp or to taste

Dried mango powder (Aamchur)                  ½ tsp

Ghee                                                            2 tsp

Method:    

Heat the oil gently in a heavy bottomed wok.

Drain the potatoes and sauté until ¾ cooked and brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside. Reserve the oil.

Wash the dried fenugreek leaves in several changes of water until totally free from grit. Drain and squeeze the water out completely.  This has to be done just prior to adding the leaves to the oil.

Reheat the reserved oil and fry the fenugreek leaves for a bit. Add the sautéed potatoes along with the salt, chilli and dried mango powders.

Fry on low heat until the potatoes are completely cooked and fragrant. Add ghee and remove from heat.

Serve with rotis or as an accompaniment with dhal and rice. 

Note:

This dish can be made with fresh fenugreek leaves as well.

Pick and wash the leaves until completely devoid of grit. Drain well. Chop leaves coarsely and use instead of the dried fenugreek leaves as suggested in the recipe.

Sauté the leaves until dry and aromatic before adding the potatoes.

Potato tip: I always soak potatoes in cold water for about 15 – 30 mins after peeling and chopping them. This will prevent them from clumping together during the cooking process as most of the starch is removed while soaking.

The heat is on. It is Mango time in India!

These pages seem almost alien to me. No excuses! Just got caught up with everyday living kind of activities. Summer has set in with a vengeance. Temperatures are soaring and no AC seems cool enough. Food prices have hit the roof and to top it all , there is a water shortage. My biggest preoccupation these days seems to be lecturing my hundred year old mother about conserving water. I am fighting a losing battle! She is convinced that I am bonkers!  Our water bill is amongst the highest in our building. So be it. My mother is happy!!

The light at the end of the tunnel though, is the appearance of the ubiquitous mango in the markets. Of course, the best is yet to come but what we have now is enough to set ones taste buds racing. The best way to gorge on mangoes is just that, as they are.  It goes without saying that they have to be of premium quality to get the best out of them. However, one can still enjoy the early birds in various ways.

I like to make a Mango Fool with the first of the season. The elders in our family have always maintained that the first mangoes of the season should be consumed along with milk, in order to avoid upset stomachs. Mango Fool is definitely the answer.

Mango Fool                 Serves 5 - 6 

Mangoes                        5 med will yield about 4 cups of puree

Sugar                             1 cup.

You might need a bit more if the mangoes are not sweet.

Milk / Cream                  ¾ cup.

More if you want to make this dessert like a smoothie.

I like to make mine mousse like.

Since I make this dessert very often during the mango season, I use milk most of the time. Cutting calories being the obvious reason!!

It goes without saying that a special occasion definitely calls for cream!

A sprinkling of Cardamom powder if the mangoes are not flavourful enough.                                                             

Method

Wash and peel the mangoes. Remove all the flesh from the kernel. Discard the kernel. Blend together the mango pulp and the sugar until smooth. If you are using a fibrous variety of mango, you will have to pass the puree through a fine sieve.

Return the sieved puree to the blender and add the milk or cream a little at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved.

You need to flavour the mango fool with cardamom powder only if you use a non descript flavourless mango. Hard to come by in India!

Serve chilled. Enjoy!