Tag: Monthly Mingle

QUENCHING THIRST WITH A MANGO COOLER…CELEBRATING SUMMER!

“Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. “
Russel Baker
Cooler anyone? Make mine mango…
With summer here, a cooler is just the perfect way to chill out. And with mangoes in every avatar flooding markets, how cool would a mango cooler be. In North India, this is a traditional thirst quencher, considered a good way to beat the heat & was made throughout homes across the North. Just the right thing to gulp down when you walk in from searing temperatures hitting 40 degrees C & upwards, & for many, the only way to escape a heatstroke. Aam panna, as it is called locally, served up a healthy mix of sugar & salts to balance the electrolytes that the body lost in the the HOT Indian summer.

My favourite way to serve this thirst quencher is in a tall steel glass

Aam Panna is an Indian drink renowned for its heat resistant properties. It is made from Green Mangoes and it is used as a tasty and healthy beverage to fight against the intense Indian summer heat. Apart from being tasty this drink also looks good due to its refreshing light green color. Green Mango is a rich source of pectin, which gradually diminishes after the formation of the stone. Unripe mango is sour in taste because of the presence of oxalic, citric and malic acids. Aam panna which is prepared using raw mangoes, sugar and an assortment of spices is an effective remedy for heat exhaustion and heat stroke. It also quenches thirst and prevents the excessive loss of sodium chloride and iron during summer due to excessive sweating.
The kids like their cooler in tall stem glasses topped with mint….

Raaga @ Singing Chef posted her mother’s recipe of a mango cooler ‘kairi panha‘. In North India we call it ‘aam panna‘. It is almost similar & in the past I have always made it differently. I usually wash the mangoes well, cook them under pressure with skins on for 5-7 minutes. Once cool, squeeze the pulp out & then continue the same way with the blending etc. Thought I’d give it a shot in Raaga’s Mom’s style as it looked decidedly different. The cooler came out very nice…fresh & exciting; tasted just like I make the other way. The son loved it & frequently asks me to make it.
The recipe as adapted from Raagas‘…
Ingredients:
Raw Mango – 1 cup, peeled and diced ( about 2 mangoes)
Roasted Cumin Powder – 1 tbsp
Rock Salt – 2 tsp powdered
Sugar – 2-4 tbsp
Red chili flakes – 1/8tsp
Mint leaves – a handful

Method:

  • Place all the ingredients, except mint leaves, in a microwave safe bowl with a little water and microwave on high for 3 minutes (till soft).
  • Allow to cool, add the mint leaves & run in the blender. Dilute this concentrate with chilled water, pour into tall glasses over ice-cubes, top with mint & celebrate summer! Can be made 2-3 days in advance. refrigerate until use.

Meeta @ Whats For Lunch Honey has Monthly Mingle #23 on now, which is celebrating Mango mania with all things mango for the entire month. So I thought I’d share this with the nice lady…
Fresh mint finds place in a almost everything I make…
…& also with Dee @ Ammalu’s Kitchen who is running Herb Mania. Her choice of herb for the month is one of my favourites…MINT. I just can’t seem to get enough of this refreshing herb, & it seems to wiggle into most of what I make, as a garnish at the least, if nothing else. There you go Dee.
First it’s mango mania & then herb mania, am feeling like quite a foodie maniac after this post…

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Posted by Deeba @ PAB

MINGLING WITH APPETIZERS…Colourful Veggie Hors’Doeuvres!

Laughter is brightest where food is best.
Irish Proverb
Oven Baked Potato Cheese Breaded Bites
Cream Cheese, Bell Pepper & Cucumber Nibbles
Time for Meeta @ Whats For Lunch Honey’s Monthly Mingle. This months’ edition is being co hosted by Mansi @ Fun ‘n’ Food, with the theme for the month being Appetizers & Hors’Doeuvres. Their call…For this monthly mingle, we’d like you to share some fancy vegetarian appetizers. Cook something that’s pretty to look at and tasty to bite in, something that looks good on a plate and is irresistible to your guests! Am sending these colourful appetizers off to sunny California to Mansi @ Fun & Food, from more than sunny India. The first one is an “Oven Baked Potato Cheese Breaded Bites’ appetizer which I put together with potatoes…

Oven Baked Potato Cheese Breaded Bites
Ingredients:
Potatoes – 2 large / boiled & grated
Cheddar – 1/2 cup / grated
Coriander – 1 small handful / chopped fine
Green chili – 1-2 / deseeded & chopped fine
Breadcrumbs – 1/2 cup
Mozzarella – 50 gms (approximately)
Fresh mint leaves & chopped tomatoes

Method:

  • Mix the grated cheddar + coriander + green chilies into the warm grated potatoes & mix till smooth. Season as desired.
  • Make small bite sized balls out of the mixture, placing a tiny bit of mozzarella inside each. Roll firmly & chill for 30 minutes.
  • Prior to serving, drizzle them with some oil, gently rolling them around so they are evenly coated. Then take each ball, roll in breadcrumbs & place on a lightly greased baking tray.
  • Bake at 180 degrees for 15-25 minutes, turning once to ensure they are well browned all around. Top with fresh mint leaves & small bits & tomatoes secured with cocktail sticks. Can be served with a dip.

…& the second one is adapted from an appetizer which left me totally refreshed by just looking at it at Nicisme’s blog @ Cherrapeno… Boursin, Tomato and Cucumber Nibbles. This second one is also en route to Ruth @ Ruth’s Kitchen Experiments for her ongoing ‘Bookmarked event’.

I made my cucumber nibbles with Cheddar, cream cheese, cottage cheese & topped them with mint, coriander & bell peppers, but would have loved to try Nic’s version had I laid my hands on some Boursin! If wishes were horses…

…these nibbles would sail!!

Cream Cheese, Bell Pepper and Cucumber Nibbles…as adapted from Cherrapeno
(Amounts are approximate because it depends on the size of the cucumber. Nic used Boursin cheese, but you can use any cream cheese – she says one with herbs would be good. I agree…)
Ingredients:
Cucumber – 1 small; about 10-12 ” long, halved in length
Cream cheese – 1 small tub
Cheddar – 1/2 cup / grated
Cottage cheese – 1/4 cup grated
Coriander leaves – Small handful / chopped fine
Garlic – 1 clove / minced fine
Fresh mint & coriander leaves
Red & yellow bell pepper tossed in olive oil, (or even half a cherry tomato)

Method:

  • Cut the cucumber in half length-ways and slice a little off the bottom to make it sit flat on the plate. Peel as desired. I left a small strip on the top edges.
  • Scoop out the seeds and discard them.
  • Mix the cheeses + chopped coriander + garlic. Taste & adjust seasoning if required.
  • Fill the hollow of the cucumber with the cream cheese mixture, push in well & smooth top with a knife.
  • Cut the cucumber into bite sized pieces and top each one with mint leaf , bell pepper bit & fresh coriander, securing the leaf & pepper with a cocktail stick.
  • Drizzle with some of the olive oil from the peppers.
  • Chill until ready to serve.

I am trying include a bit of yellow in each post in support of the Click ‘YELLOW for Bri‘ !

Posted by Deeba @ PAB

BLING ON BOLLYWOOD WITH A LAMB CURRY!

Hasta la vista, Baby
Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

BLING ON BOLLYWOOD…LAMB CURRY!

Hasta la vista; is a Spanish parting phrase meaning “see you” or “so long”. It literally means “until the seeing”, but is used in the sense “until next time”. My dish here reflects the same sorta feeling. It’s the time of the month again for The Monthly Mingle at Meeta’s @ What’s For Lunch Honey! This time’s special…it’s the BOLLYWOOD bling!! Time to show-off colour, polish the family silver, splurge on all things oily & rich…generally ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET!! Also time to fall off my ‘healthy perch’…blame it on Bollywood or blame it on Meeta…I did just that!!
“What we are looking for is a glamorous and elegant dish fit for the red carpet. We love the everyday comfort cooking no doubt about that, but here we want you to dress your dish up in glitter and gloss. Show us your favorite Indian dish fit for a Bollywood (or even a Hollywood) star and share your experience with Indian food with us. “…so says Meeta.
Made a deliciously rich version of lamb curry on the bone, Nalli Gosht, even simmered it for longer than I did earlier, served it in silver, & sat back & relished the scenes as everyone enjoyed it. This time around, it’s a rich, finger-licking good curry…a pot-boiler for Bollywood with something for everyone! This finger-licking good lamb-curry has been simmered lovingly just for the mingle this month!!
Meeta’s been joined this month by the lovely Bulbul Mankani, author of Bollywood Cookbook . About the book….” The chutzpah of Bollywood is a reflection of how we feel about food. There is a constant celebration, the mingling of colors and flavors, the near excess of emotive breathlessness. There is no better way to sample the high life of India than to see what the Bollywood royals eat and enjoy. Bulbul Mankani celebrates the sensuality and vibrancy of Bollywood by marrying it with the food of the stars.”
My attempt to mingle colours with flavour…

The recipe then, which is an adaptation to my earlier adapted version of Sanjeev Kapur’s recipe.
Ingredients:

Lamb leg pieces (nalli) – 750 gms (nalli means marrow bones)
Onion – 3 large / sliced fine
Garlic – 10 cloves / grated fine
Ginger – 1½ inch piece / grated fine
Oil – 2/3 cup
Bay leaves – 2
Green cardamom – 2
Black cardamom – 1
Cloves – 5-6
Cinnamon – 1 inch stick
Pepper corns – 5-6
Red chili powder – 1/2 tsp (adjust to taste)
Paprika (degi mirch) – 1 tbsp (for colour basically)
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Tomato puree – 2/3 cup
Yogurt – 1 cup / thick
Green chillies
Fresh coriander
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

  • Clean and wash lamb leg pieces (on the bone).
  • Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan. Add green cardamoms, black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, bay leaves and sliced onions.
  • Sauté until onions are light pink in colour.
  • Add ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, coriander powder and cook for one minute.
  • Add lamb pieces. Roast well.
  • Add 1 cups of water + salt to taste and bring to a boil. Cook under pressure for 20 minutes, until lamb pieces are almost cooked.
  • Whisk the tomato puree & yogurt in a bowl, & add to the cooked lamb. Simmer for 30-45 minutes till the gravy is thick & red. Add a couple of slit green chillies for flavour. (Deseed them to reduce the chili factor)
  • Sprinkle garam masala, garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with butter naan! ENJOY!!
    Note: While selecting cuts for this dish, make sure that you select lamb pieces with lots of bone marrow.

Hugs to you Meeta…for keeping the carpet out for late-comers like me. Cheers!!

Posted by Deeba @ PAB

FRESH, LIGHT & ‘AU NATUREL’…BASKETS A LA MELON!

“Give me book, fruit, French wine, and fine weather and a little music out of doors played by someone I do not know.”
John Keats
Basket a la Melons!! Spring is in the air!
To my delight, this month’s CLICK at Jugalbandi‘s is ‘Au Naturel’. This is my entry for one of the most inspiring foodie ‘visual’ events. It’s an eye-opener to creative photography!

Doing away with decadence, though very temporarily, it’s Spring in the air. Melons are beginning to show up here. These pretty yellow fruits are probably called cantaloupes, casabas or melons overseas, but are called ‘sarda‘ locally. Till last year, they were imported from Afghanistan & were priced quite steep. I didn’t buy them last year because I like to subscribe to the’ grown within the 100 mile radius’ way of life. I’m not completely steadfast though; will buy the odd kiwi etc.
Make Melons Part of Your 5 A Day Plan…

This year the prices are way more affordable because these pretty melons are being grown in nearby farms. Fresh, juicy & ever so sweet! That’s why I went & bought a couple the minute I got to know. Just helps in looking after the environment in my small way & so I tend to buy locally. I also believe that fresh produce bought locally is more nutritious & hasn’t been doused with stuff to keep ’em going for longer! Transporting, packaging, use of preservatives burden an already burdened planet which is struggling to survive. Give it a thought…eat what is seasonal & try to eat local!

As ‘Sustainable Table’ says…The concept of buying local is simply to buy food (or any good or service) produced, grown, or raised as close to your home as possible. With industrialization, our food is now grown and processed in fewer and fewer locations, meaning it has to travel further to reach the average consumer’s refrigerator. Although this method of production is considered efficient and economically profitable for large agribusiness corporations, it is harmful to the environment, consumers and rural communities.
Sarda…or Melon

Muskmelon (Cucumis melo) is a species of melon that has been developed into many cultivated varieties. These include smooth skinned varietes, such as honeydew, and different netted cultivars known as cantaloupes. It is an accessory fruit of a type that botanists call a false berry. It was first cultivated more than 4000 years ago in Persia and Africa.
Samarkand melon vendor in the 1910s (Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Melons are generally rich in vitamin C and also contain moderate levels of Potassium, Vitamin A and Folate. While they are mostly consumed around the world as raw fruits, melons are known to be cooked, pickled and preserved.


Nothing much to what I did…no cooking, baking etc.

  • I just cut the melon in a zig–zag manner across the centre with a sharp steak knife. You can draw a light line with the knife if you like; I did it extempore.
  • Then I took a sharp smaller knife & gently cut out the flesh of the melon & chopped it up. Be careful you don’t puncture the outer skin.
  • Tossed the cut melon pieces with craisins, walnuts, kiwi, grapes. Actually, that’s all I had. For those who have access to colourful fruit, this would look lovely with oranges, berries, strawberries, cherries, watermelon etc too. You can use the melon baller for fun round shapes too. Top it off with fresh mint.
  • I plaited some lemongrass stalks into handles for the baskets. (I have some growing in the far end of my garden). Secured them to the sides with wooden picks…& I was ready to go!

I got them ready for the kids afternoon snack…they were thrilled to see them. Even though the son doesn’t enjoy the taste of melons, he polished off the smaller basket because it looked like fun! The daughter on the other hand relished each morsel, using wooden picks as a fork, & asked if she could have another basket! She said she felt like she was on a tropical island !! PHEW…I just sliced up the other melon for her the 2nd time round as the baskets took quite a while!!

This would make a nice picnic centre-piece…

…& seems like just the thing to send to Monthly Mingles where the chosen topic is Spring Fruit Sensations.The event is the brainchild of Meeta @ What’s For Lunch Honey…a delightful concept which has been thoroughly enjoyed by foodies across the blogosphere. This month onwards, it’s been passed on to different hosts & this times host is Abby of Eat The Right Stuff. In her words…”One of the things I love about blogging is the inspiration it provides me with. However, inspiration is only half the story. taking that exciting spark of an idea and turning it into something on the plate in front of me, is the real challenge. “

My thoughts are quite the same…the inspiration is untold!

Posted by Deeba @ PAB

BIRYANI/YAKHNI PULAO…Mingling with ‘One Dish Dinners’

“In the childhood memories of every good cook, there’s a large kitchen, a warm stove, a simmering pot and a mom.”
Barbara Costikyan

LAMB BIRYANI/YAKHNI PULAO

Decided to make a biryani/yakni pulao for lunch last weekend. Have been procrastinating making it for long as it is just a bit involved. Then I thought, might as well, & went off to dust the cob-webs off my biryani utensil which hadn’t seen light of day for a while. Life seems to be all about eating & drinking…so I got on with tying my bouquet garni!! In a strange quirk of fate, after eating the Mughlai dish for lunch, we unexpectedly got invited to see a special screening of the film ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ that night. The film was a tad disappointing for a period film. It’s based on a 16th century love story about a marriage of alliance that gave birth to true love between a great Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a Rajput princess. The high point of the film was beautiful glimpses of extensive shooting done within the palaces of Rajasthan. Absolutely stunning…unbelieveable that such interiors could have been made by man, & that too centuries ago!

Back to the foodie issue then…The recipe is one my mother has been making for years, & the kids love it because the stock flavours the rice beautifully. I made a small change to it by using half milk/half water to make the stock. Had read about that in a Hyderabadi coffee table book by Pratibha Karan. And yes, I also added some star anise since the flavour is nice & subtle. This preparation is a cross between a biryani & pulao; more a pulao because the rice is cooked in stock, & a bit like biryani because I slow-cooked it on dum!

Historically, Biryani and Pulao were ‘rice and meat’ dish.
In Pulao, the ‘meat and rice are stirred’ before cooking. For Biryani, meat and rice are layered during cooking. Pulao is of Persian origin. Pilaf is another common name used in India. Mutton was cooked in water with aromatic spices. Once the meat was cooked, rice and more water were added to finish cooking. The broth with yogurt was called Yakhni.
Biryani in Farsi means ‘fry before cooking’. To make Biryani, mutton is fried in ghee and par-cooked (Cooked half way). Separately, the rice is fried in ghee, and par-cooked (cooked half way). The rice and meat were layered (cluster of rice on top of cluster of meat) in a cookware called handi. The handi is sealed with dough. It is dum cooked (baked) on low heat.

IMG 3595 It’s delicious served with a ‘Garlic Raita (yogurt)’

Ingredients:

Lamb – 750gms (ribs & shoulder cuts)
Rice – ½ kg (2 steel glasses)/ soaked for 30 minutes
Onions – 4 (3 whole; 1 sliced)
Garlic – 1 whole bulb
Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Ginger grated – 1 tbsp
Whole Coriander seeds – 3 tbsps
Whole Fennel – 3 tbsps
Star Anise -2-3 (optional)
Star Anise powder -1 tsp (optional)
Green Cardamom -3
Yogurt – 1/2 cup
Milk – 1 1/2 glasses
Bay leaves – 2
Cinnamon sticks – 2 pieces
Saffron – 1 pinch soaked in a few tbsps warm milk
Cashewnuts for garnishing

Method:

  • Make a bouquet garni with 3 onions (whole) + whole coriander seeds + whole fennel + star anise + garlic bulb + grated ginger. Tie firmly.
  • Put the lamb in the cooker with the bouquet garni + 1 1/2 glasses of water + 1 1/2 glasses of milk + 1 tsp of salt.
  • Cook under medium pressure for 15 minutes. Open only once cool. (Adjust cooking time according to your need; the lamb shouldn’t get overdone, otherwise it will fall into pieces while roasting later! CAREFUL!).
  • Once cool, pour through a soup strainer & collect stock (yakhni) in a bowl; pick out the lamb pieces & reserve in another bowl. Squeeze out the bouquet garni through the strainer. Dispose off the bouquet garni .
  • Now measure the stock/yakhni (if rice 2 glasses then stock should be 3 ½ glasses); make up the shortfall with water if required.
  • Heat ½ cup oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add sliced onion & fry till light brown.
  • Remove & keep for garnishing. Repeat with cashews.
  • Add the green cardamom & fry till light brown.
  • Add the lamb pieces, yogurt & garlic paste. Roast gently.
  • Now add the stock + bay leaves + cinnamon sticks + salt for rice & bring to a rolling boil.
  • Add the rice & let it get 2-3 rolling boils, then cover & simmer for 10-15 minutes till the rice is almost done.
  • Open & sprinkle the saffron & milk mixture evenly over the top.
  • Cover with a snug lid sealed with some dough & leave to cook on dum on a girdle/tava on low heat for about 15-20minutes. ( or in the oven at 150 degrees C for 30 minutes).
  • Don’t open immediately; let it sit for at least 10-15 minutes.
  • Garnish with fried onions & cashews.
  • Serve with a Garlic raita. (Whip a bowl of yogurt with 1 level tsp garlic paste; add salt & red chili flakes; mix well;chill)
    Notes: Always reheat biryani with a little sprinkle of milk.

How familiar those words are for all of us… ‘What’s For Lunch Honey?‘. It’s mingle time once again at Meeta’s & this time she’s looking for your “One-Dish Dinners“…”the only rule is your entire dinner should come out of ONE pot!” Sit pretty in the pot, dear biryani…it’s time to be sent off for the ‘Monthly Mingle’!

Posted by Deeba @ PAB

ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE-CHIP CUPCAKES…Comfort with a cuppa coffee!

“Food is the most primitive form of comfort”
Sheilah Graham

‘Espresso Comfort’…Coffee & Dark Chocolate

Here is where my two most comforting & favourite flavours meet…in these ‘Espresso Chocolate-chip Cupcakes’. Meeta’s Monthly Mingle this month calls for ‘Comfort Foods’ & comes just at the peak of winter, where the winds seem to be getting colder by the day.

Temperatures are at lows of almost 2 degrees C here in Gurgaon, & we are chilled to the bone. There was frost on the cars this morning & the kids were fascinated. I made these warming cupcakes today…just to get the better of the cold & with the MM in mind. They were really heart-warming & comforting straight out of the oven…warm with a hot cuppa coffee. I used a medium roast instant coffee & Ghirardeli dark chocolate chips…flavours right up my street!

With coffee beans sprinkled on top…adding kick to comfort!!

This is a fuss free recipe which results in just good taste & a light crumb. Its an adaptation of the cupcake recipe I use for my vanilla muffins. Simple, straight-forward & ever dependable!

Ingredients:
Flour – 2 cups
Baking powder – 2 tsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Butter – 1/2 cup
Sugar – 1 1/4 cup
Eggs – 2
Milk – 1 cup
Vanilla Essence / extract – 1 tsp
Instant coffee – 1 tbsp
Dark chocolate chips – 1/2 cup

On their way to the oven…

Method:

  • Sift the flour + baking powder + salt together 3 times. Keep aside in a bowl.
  • Line a muffin tray.
  • Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C.
  • Beat the butter & sugar for a minute.
  • Beat in the eggs & vanilla till well incorporated.
  • On low speed, beat in the flour & milk alternatively in 3 goes.
  • On low speed, beat in the instant coffee for 1/2 a minute.
  • Fold in the chocolate chips. Turn into muffin cases, 2/3 full, top with a few more chips & sprinkles if you like, & bake for 10 minutes.
  • Add coffee beans on top & continue baking further for 10-15 minutes / until done.
  • Remove from muffin tray & cool on racks.
  • Delicious warm!

Colour of comfort…

Warming…whichever way you look at ’em!

Posted by Deeba @ PAB
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