Mushroom Cashew Rosemary Soup, yet another favourite soup I created with available pantry ingredients a few days ago. Simple to make, beautifully flavoured and quite creamy because of the cashews within, I’m going to make this often. Like an earlier soup I recently made, this one too is thickened with oats {and cashews this time} making it healthy, delicious and gluten free too. I’m sure you’re going to love this one as it is a great winter warmer, just right for the current cold spell we are experiencing.
I’m not a huge soup person and don’t have great expertise in making them. I stick to a few basics, and really make soups in a hurry, often throwing in whatever I can salvage in ten minutes. Yet with these brrrrr freezing cold days and the mercury dipping day after day, sometimes soup is all that warms the soul. I like subtle flavour in my soup. I also prefer them creamy to clear possibly because I don’t know how to make a good clear soup.
Maybe it’s time to sharpen my skills as I had a really good miso soup a few days ago, and that was amazing. Until I get there, sharpen my skills a little, here’s one of my favourite soups for now. With cauliflowers literally falling off carts this winter, it’s a great way to use the humble vegetable.I did make a finger licking good roasted cauliflower salad the other day. So garlicky, so good! I loved how well the cauliflower roasted in the dressing, how beautifully the fresh beet greens and rocket from the garden complimented it. And oh, the pom pearls that add fresh flavour and a burst of colour. Would you like the recipe?
Mushroom Cashew Rosemary Soup ... truly a winter warmer!
Simple to make, beautifully flavoured and quite creamy because of the cashews within, Mushroom Cashew Rosemary Soup is a winter favourite. Thickened with oats and cashews makes it healthy, delicious and gluten free too.A great winter warmer!
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 2people
Ingredients
2tbspbutter
1larger onionchopped
5-6clovesgarlicchopped
1/4cupcashews
200gbutton mushroomssliced
1TSP dried rosemary
1sprig fresh rosemary
1cupWater
1cupmilk
2tbspquick cooking oats
Salt & pepper to taste
balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Heat butter. Saute onions and garlic, then add cashews, saute.
Stir in mushrooms and saute on high for minutes.
Add rosemary, saute for 10 seconds, then add water andilk.
Bring to simmer, add oats, bring to a boil, them simmer 5 minutes.
Blend slightly for chunky finish (or smooth if you like), then return to pan
Season with salt and pepper, add balsamic vinegar, and simmer for 5 minutes.
If you'd like thicker soup, simmer a little longer.
TheSlovakian proverb “Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine” couldn’t be any truer! Can you imagine a world without clean drinking water? The moment you begin to think of it, a strange panic rises. For me as a mother, a baker, a home maker, a food blogger, pure clean water is at the heart of everything I do. From that first glass of water in the morning, to making fresh lime juice, to baking bread every other day, to making that jar of infused fruit & chia seed water, to soaking dals/lentils for lunch, to kneading dough, to cook rice to that cup of coffee…I could go on & on.This is just the tip of the iceberg. Just look back on all you do in a day, and then you’ll figure out just how central clean drinking water is. It’s also something we take for granted, trusting a system in place, without possibly questioning the process. I was baking this loaf of sourdough the other day, after having baked many, researched a lot, talked to the experts. I marveled at how so few ingredients can yield something so satisfying. Also marveled at the fact that just WATER, FLOUR and SALT can yield something so basic to our lives, something we can sit back an enjoy to no end. Yet dabbling in sourdough cultures, a natural fermented starter, also meant that all three ingredients have to be pure or in a larger sense organic. That rang true of the flour I use, but also of the water, something that tends to get taken for granted. They say the best bread is made out of pure water! And that brings me to a product launch I recently attended, one that changed my perception of ‘clean safe drinking water‘ completely.I’m talking about the launch of a new product by Havells India, the water purifier, something so basic and intrinsic in all our homes today, yet something we tend to take for granted! The very knowledgeable and passionate team at Havells held our attention, engaged us with eye-opening insights, and made us sit up and take notice. What was perceived to be a classroom type session, with labs and all, became a very animated interesting discussion with the Havells team. History of water purification in India began in 1982 with door to door sales. From then to now, water purifiers have become priority, probably the first thing; we need to have in place when we set up home. Havells recognises that this area runs completely on consumer trust. They are the industry’s first to honestly bring safe healthy water into this high growth consumer lifestyle category with a promise of transparency.
After deep research into consumer behaviors, keeping in mind kitchen space which can be a major constraint, and also the fact that they needed to cater to a savvy ‘smart’ generation drove product development. The brand runs on a few basic principles – technology & innovation, recruiting the best talent, and the understanding that service delivery & consumer satisfaction is very critical.At the heart of the technology is mineral fortification, a 100% reverse osmosis, tamper proof cylinders, neat designs that are DIY friendly, well-trained self-employed technicians {no franchise here, thankfully}, field staff given both technical and soft skills leading to a promise of quick response & resolution.What a fulfilling day, where I came back much the wiser, where RO or reverse osmosis, alkalinity vs acidity in water {yes, that too}, TDS {which is touted to be good for you but not always from this source}, microbiology, metal toxins and carcinogens, known and unknown pollutants and the process of cleaning the water, the promise of delivering the clean glassful began to make so much sense. Product development right from building prototypes, consumer research, aesthetics, usability, modern-day smart designs, space-saving ideas, innovative technology, also the need to keep bettering the model are things we avidly discussed.To sit in the conference room, then visit the lab, to meet an impassioned team who were so proud of what they were doing was an enlightening experience. Young people engaged in design innovations, lab testing the products, growing saplings from legumes to test water conditions and growth rates, all so engrossed and clearly enjoying the process, they were quite unfazed by us walking through.To keep it simple for a lay person, with the source of water uncertainty coupled with the exploitation of nature, there are far too many pollutants from source to our daily glass of water. Microorganisms are possibly the simplest to deal with, but the cocktail of poisons, organic pollutants, carcinogens, pesticides, metal toxins are the real hidden dangers. That coupled with the transportation of water, pipelines etc make up a horror story if you start delving deeper. It’s best to stay with an innovative industry leader like Havells India who wants to reach out to customers, listen to them, offer transparency, promise honesty … all for that essential glass of water that we take for granted!
Lamb Mince Capsicum / Keema Capsicum … a one wok / kadhai dish which is certain to tantalise the taste-buds, keep you warm this winter, basically comfort food at its best. The dish has origins in India & Pakistan, a recipe that’s changed hands several times over. It’s quite different from how I used to cook a similar recipe earlier, and this one tastes loads better. It’s quite fuss free, a recipe I from an old aunt.Very often, you’ll find curries and lamb dishes that originate from the Indian subcontinent to have loads of ghee / clarified butter, fried onions, lots of ‘bhunoing‘ or roasting over low flame etc. Often too, the list of spices and ingredients are not everyday pantry ingredients. This Lamb Mince Capsicum / Keema Capsicum is different by way of process and also by way of ingredients. It uses simple everyday spices, the only exception being dried mint. That in any case is a great addition to any kitchen pantry and adds great oomph to food!I love that this is flavoured simply by 3-4 spice powders, coriander {dhania}, turmeric {haldi}, roasted cumin {bhuna zeera}and Kashmiri red chili {degi mirch}. Also, just two herbs here, the more fascinating of them being dried mint. Dried mint adds a certain earthiness and depth to the recipe, one that I haven’t experienced before. I usually use fresh mint since I have loads growing in my patch the year round. Dried mint was refreshing this time around!The rest of the ingredients are very common to Indian curries and stir fries … onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, green chilies, yogurt {Greek yogurt as that’s what I had in the fridge}, and an optional dash of lime juice. And the process is a no brainer too. Take a read!Just cook the mince over low heat for a while, add the spices and chopped ingredients, cover and cook, throw in vegetables if you like. I added capsicum since that’s all I had. Alternatively, you could use flat beans {sem as we call them here}, peas, potatoes, green chilies or even bitter gourd if you like. Towards the end, Greek yogurt, more fresh coriander {I like to add LOADS}, a dash of lime if you like tangy.Then just give it a squeeze of lime {optional}, slit green chilies {very optional} and a nice drizzle of clarified butter/ghee {MUST}… and enjoy!
I served the Lamb Mince Capsicum / Keema Capsicum with parathas one time, some toasted sheermal {sweetish Indian flatbread} another time. You could even give this a fusion and scoop them up with nachos for a snack with tea or drinks! More ideas … filling for lamb mince samosas!
Lamb Mince with Capsicum / Keema Capsicum ... a one wok / kadhai dish which is certain to tantalise the taste-buds, keep you warm this winter, basically it's comfort food at it's best. The dish has origins in India & Pakistan, a recipe that's changed hands several times over. The recipe uses simple pantry ingredients, is fuss free and gluten free as well!
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Ingredients
500glamb mince
1tbspclarified butter {ghee}
2large onionsfinely chopped
2tomatoesfinely chopped
5-6clovesgarlicfinely chopped
1piecegingerfinely chopped
2-3green chiliesfinely chopped
1small bunchfresh coriander, finely chopped
2tspdhania powder/ coriander powder
tsp½Kashmiri red chili powder / degi mirch
tsp½haldi powder/ turmeric
2tspbhuna zeera powder/ roasted cumin powder
Salt to taste
2capsicumsdeseeded, chopped
cup½Greek yogurtwhisked
Juice of ½ lime
Fresh coriander to garnish
1tbspghee to finish off
Instructions
Heat the glee in a heavy bottom wok. Add the lamb mince, stir well to break up any clumps. Allow to cook uncovered over low heat for 30-45 minutes until it cooks through and begins to change colour.
Add the onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chilies, dhania powder, haldi, degi mirch and bhuna zeera powder. Mix well, season with salt, ten cover and leave to cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.
Stir in the chopped capsicum, then the whisked Greek yogurt. Cook again covered over low heat until the liquid has evaporated 15-20 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning, add the lime juice if desired, more fresh coriander if you like. Drizzle over a tbsp of ghee.
Serve hot with naan, parathas, sheermal or tandoori roti.
The quintessential Garam Masala Christmas Fruit Cake, one I bake every year. Here’s this years version inspired by different recipes from @bbcgoodfood and a bit of my own. Fruit mince from scratch soaked in a gentle mix of orange zest, orange juice, garam masala, whiskey, brandy and rum. Not very potent yet pleasing enough. Some folk are surprised at garam masala in cake. This was what my mother always used when we were young. Ground cinnamon, nutmeg etc. were unavailable in the local market at the time. Garam masala or warm winter spices made up a heady bouquet, available in all our homes. A new year fruit cake was customary to bake in the armed forces then. I try to keep that tradition going!Each year I promise I’ll get the cake done in time, each year promising my self that I won’t procrastinate. Each year I fall back. This year too. Well, to my credit, I soaked the fruit in November and was walking on the moon! Aaaaaaand slowly, the clock ticked away, and soon it was December! Time to panic, yet I did only get the tins lined after Cocoka nudged me. Big time!So, three days ago I quickly got into baking mode, or rather Christmas Fruit Cake baking mode. Dug into recipes, ideas for last minute cakes, inspiration for here and there. Finally came up with this, inspired largely from a recipe on BBC Good Food, then a bit of my own.The hero of the cake is of course garam masala, my secret ingredient which makes the cake what it is. Strong warm spices that marry the cut fruit, languish in heady spirits, sweet fresh orange juice, some zest too. The end result is flavourful and so good!Look how beautiful the Garam Masala Christmas Fruit Cake looks! And I did have some soaked fruit leftover too. Watch this space to see what I used it for. Until then, here’s the recipe for the Garam Masala Fruit Cake. Maybe make it for New Year like my mother always did?
The quintessential Garam Masala Christmas Fruit Cake, one I bake every year. Fruit mince from scratch soaked in a gentle mix of orange zest, orange juice, garam masala, whiskey, brandy and rum. Not very potent yet pleasing enough.
4tbspcaramel {made from 4 tbsp sugar then 1 tbsp water added later}
5eggs
1tspvanilla bean paste
200gall purpose flour
100gwhole almonds
1tspbaking powder
150gwalnutsfinely chopped
180gcashewsfinely chopped
Instructions
Fruit Mince
Chop candied ginger and orange peel in food processor. Place in a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients for mincemeat.
Mix to coat well. Clingwrap tightly and sit in a cool place for about a week. If it is warm, you can place the sealed bowl in the fridge {Remove a few hours before you plan to bake the cake}
Fruit Cake
Line one large 8" deep tin or 1 7" round tin + 1 mini loaf pan + 1 3" small round tin with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 150C.
Place the flour, almonds and baking powder in the jar of a processor. Process until the almonds are ground fine. Reserve.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk the butter and brown sugar on medium speed till smooth, 5-6 minutes.
Whisk in the eggs one by one, followed by the caramel and vanilla bean paste.
Once well blended, stir in the flour mix and chopped nuts.
Transfer batter to prepared tins, and bake for about 2.5-3 hours, until done.
As soon as they come out of the oven, pour oven about a cup of mixed red wine, brandy and rum {optional}
Allow to cool completely, then cover with clingwrap and leave in a cool place. Slice only once cool.
You could feed the cake a couple more times if you like.
Coffee Mascarpone Layered Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache, the cake of my dreams, one I baked in a hurry for my birthday! It was delicious once sliced, the flavours coming together just as I had hoped they would. Coffee and chocolate are my to-go flavour combination, and my basic sponge recipe a favourite too, one that lives in my head. It’s been a while since I baked a layer cake. The better half appreciatively called this one an old-fashioned cake, possibly because I fast track most cakes these days.It’s often a quick cheesecake or a flourless cake that I turn out, a reflection of ‘so much to do and so little time, also one that points towards my habit of procrastination. This one was planned no differently, yet, happily enough, I made a layered cake!A special occasion cake needs more effort, and for my birthday, no matter what, it’s A L W A Y S a coffee chocolate one I bake! And call me a sucker for punishment or what you like, I just came in from a long exhausting shoot the previous day. That was great fun but had me on my feet for almost 15 hours every day, and I came back to excited puppies and guinea pigs. Family too of course!All I wanted to was to vegetate, basically sit in one place and grow roots. Yet just the thought of coffee cake had me turn on the Kitchen Aid, eight eggs & sugar whipping away silently as I readied the other stuff. There’s barely anything else to this sponge other than lining the tins and preheating the oven of course. Add some flavour {vanilla, coffee powder, coffee extract if you like}, throw in some baking powder and a pinch of salt. A quick sifting of flour over, and a gentle fold through and that’s all it takes.Then I pretty much had to think the filling and frosting. That the filling was going to be coffee mascarpone was already in my head. Then I got a little lazy since I had forgotten to chill the cream, and decided to go with a dark chocolate ganache just because it seemed so much simpler! That was the simplest thing ever, one I hurriedly made as the sponges baked. Since the weather is quite cool, I left the chocolate ganache out at room temperature for 2-3 hours to rest. Once you have all the elements sorted out, the Coffee Mascarpone Layered Cake doesn’t take long to assemble.A quick brush of a simple coffee syrup, then coffee mascarpone, and repeat with all four layers. Since I was short on time, I popped it into the freezer for 30 minutes. Ideally I would have left it to sit for a couple of hours, or overnight, for the flavours to mature. That done, it was time for the ganache which was perfectly smooth at room temperature.You do need to move quick as the ganache hits the chilled cake. One thin base coat, followed by a generous top coat, a sifting over of cocoa powder, a scattering of chocolate flakes, a few coffee beans and we’re good to go! Into the fridge to chill for a couple of hours to allow the flavours to mature, hoping it was going to be delicious once sliced. I really had to chase the light to get a shot; daylight is really at a premium these days.
Coffee Mascarpone Layered Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache
Coffee and chocolate are a pairing made in heaven, and this Coffee Mascarpone Layered Cake doesn't disappoint. Make it the previous day if you like, the flavours mature well over time.
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 2 hourshours45 minutesminutes
Servings 8people
Ingredients
Coffee sponge 8" X 2
8eggs
1/2cupbrown sugar
1/2cupvanilla sugar
3tbspinstant coffee
1tspcoffee extract
1tspvanilla extract
1tspbaking powder
pinchsalt
1cupall purpose flour
2tbspcornflour
Coffee Syrup
1/3cupWater
cup½sugar
1tbspinstant coffee powder
Coffee Mascarpone Filling
250gcreamchilled
50gicing sugar {to taste}
3tspinstant coffee powder
250gmascarponechilled
Dark chocolate ganache
300gsingle cream
450g52% couverture chocolate
Garnish
cocoa powderchocolate shavings, coffee beans
Instructions
Coffee Sponge
Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the bottom and sides of 2 X 8″ spring form/loose bottomed round tins.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs with both sugars till thick and mousse like, 7-10 minutes.
Add the coffee and vanilla extract and beat in again for a minute, then beat in the baking powder and pinch of salt.
Sift the flour over, folding gently in 3 lots, lightly till it’s mixed through well. Be careful not to release the beaten in air.
Turn the batter into the prepared baking tin, and bake for 30-35 minutes, till a tester comes out clean.
Cool completely on racks, then slice into two horizontally, total 4 layers.
Coffee Syrup
Place ingredients in a small pan and stir until sugar dissolves. Cool.
tbsp instant coffee powder
Coffee Mascarpone Filling
Whip the cream, sugar and coffee together till medium stiff peaks form. Fold in the mascarpone. Taste and adjust sweetness if required.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
Place chopped chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl and run at high in the microwave for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth, then leave it to rest to cool. Whisk again before using.
Assemble
Brush each layer with the coffee syrup, and sandwich with the filling.
Give the whole cake a thin layer of ganache as a base coat. Let it set for about 5 minutes.
Frost with the remaining ganache.
Sift over with cocoa powder and garnish with chocolate shavings and coffee beans.
Chill for about an hour or overnight. The flavours mature nicely over time.
Dark Chocolate Walnut Gateau … baking up for when the world’s lightest full frame DSLR comes over for a review. Well it’s a Canon, more specifically a Canon 6D Mark II, and you just know it’s time to add to the wishlist. Light, at a mere 685 grams, wifi enabled, a touch screen technology, good in low light, not sure what more you can ask for?Did they say adequate weather sealing too? YES!!Yes indeed, it’s a model that won me over even though I already use the Canon 5D Mark III. It seems a matter of luxury to have touch screen auto focus and even a shooting option with the touch screen. For a fleeting moment you might feel redundant since it’s a camera that appears to frame, focus and even shoot on auto! Yet once you get past that initial awe and excitement, this is a good feel, full frame snappy camera with a powerful processor.I speak from quite the non tech point of view but because I have always used Canon as a brand, I am a huge fan of the brand and quality products. I set off with a Canon PS40 when I began shooting, graduated to a G9, then an EOS 50D, and now use a 5D Mark III. Ever since I cut over to the DSLR beginning with a 50D, I used a Canon f/2.8 100mm lens for food photography. I’ve now graduated to an L series lens of the same specs and for me that’s the best lens to shoot food.The Canon 6D Mark II on review came with a kit lens, the 24-105mm f/4 which is pretty decent for a kit lens and the full frame camera. It has the image stabilisation feature that I find so useful, especially in low light conditions. Since I am used to shooting with the 100mm f/2.8 lens and used to the results that gets, it was only a matter of time before I snapped that onto the 6D body.
The images above are all with the kit lens and the ones that follow with the 100mm f/2.8. Such an absolute pleasure to shoot with the 6D. It’s snappy, it’s quick and has a great new processor and a large sensor. These relate to less noise in your images. The live view focus is also really fast and enviable, and the colours are great. The wifi function also means that you can instantly share images to different devices without the hassle of downloading to another device tethered, or via a card reader etc.For the modern day digital lifestyle, this is an amazing feature. It takes the ease of what the cellphone camera can do, and places it in a camera. You might argue that carrying a camera is cumbersome, and these days cellphones produce amazing images too. Then again, If you are like me and are used to a DSLR to take pictures, then there’s nothing else that can offer you the same satisfaction.For you then, the 6D is a good choice if it’s in your budget range. It begins at INR 1,32,000 and if you are a serious photography enthusiast, then it’s a great investment. Though it is always the eye that frames the shot, the person that visualises the frame, you need great equipment to deliver the result. With a full HD capability and an LCD that shoots upto 4 frames a second with less shake in a video, this just might be the camera to consider.I have this Canon 6D in my view even though I love my 5D Mark III to bits. I love the innovative approach Canon has. The latest features are a sign of responding to the ever changing dynamic times, making life simpler while improving on quality, and largely responding to user feedback. How else would you find built in smart device pairings, remote control functions via a smart phone and instant transfers to devices?
If you have questions do let me know. I’ll try and answer them. Canon is my brand of choice as I’ve used no other, and find it meets my requirements and more.
And for the record, I barely do any post processing as most folk who know me are aware. So with minimal fixes {if any}, these are basically just images straight from the camera. I’d love to play around with it more, figure out white balance better etc, but for now I’ll say adieu!
… oh, and before I forget, the Dark Chocolate Walnut Gateau is a delicious healthy alternative for dessert. It’s flourless, it’s wholesome, and chocolate of course! You could actually serve it without the topping, yet who wouldn’t mind added indulgence?
Chocolate and walnuts are a marriage made in heaven. Giving a favourite an even healthier twist, this cake comes with a serving of oats too. It’s flourless, gluten free, moist and delicious. Make it ahead as a tea cake or dessert.
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 4 hourshours35 minutesminutes
Servings 8people
Ingredients
Walnut Oat Base
30gclarified butter {ghee}
150gwalnuts
40gquick cooking oats
15gbrown sugar
Dark Chocolate Filling
4egg yolks
50gbrown sugar
1tspvanilla beanscraped {or 1vanilla extract}
15gcoffee powder
100gdark chocolatemelted
2tbspWater
4egg whites
1pinchcream of tartar
50gbrown sugar
30goatmeal
1/2tspbaking powder
10gpowdered sugar for sifting
Mascarpone Caramel Cream
200gmascarponechilled
2-3tbspsalted caramel sauce
Salted caramel sauce to drizzle
Instructions
Flourless Gateau
Preheat oven to 180 C. Butter an 8" springform tin. Line the base with parchment paper
Walnut Oat Base
Run walnuts, oats and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in food processor till ground. Add the clarified butter/ghee and pulse till it all comes together.
Gently press this into the bottom and up the sides of the baking tin to form a base.
Dark Chocolate Filling
Place the egg whites in the bowl of the stand mixer. Add 50g brown sugar, pinch of cream of tartar and beat on high speed to stiff peaks. Reserve in a separate bowl.
Place the egg yolks in the same bowl of the stand mixer. Beat on high speed for 5-7 minutes until thick and mousse like. Add the remaining 50g brown sugar, coffee powder and scraped vanilla bean, and continue to beat for another 3 minutes. Gently stir in the oats flour and baking powder.
Fold in the melted chocolate and water.
Gently fold in the beaten egg whites, beginning with a quarter at a time.
Turn the filling over the walnut base and spread uniformly. Sprinkle over with 1 tbsp brown sugar
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, cool in the pan for another 15-20 minutes
Loosen sides, and leave to cool completely for about 2 hours. The centre will drop/sink
Chill, then top with the mascarpone cream.
Topping
Whisk the mascarpone until smooth.
Take 2-3 tbsp and whisk in the salted caramel sauce to loosen, the gently fold this through the remaining mascarpone. Taste and add more sauce if desired.
Top the chilled cake with this, add some salted caramel popcorn if you like.
Slightly warm a little more salted caramel sauce and drizzle over to finish.
