The Flavour of Indian Summers

From 

Come Summer, and all I can think of is sweet, sweet, juicy mangoes. I love mangoes of all shapes and sizes. And every summer is spent making the sweet chunda (sweet raw mango pickle) or the tangy kairi achaar (the tangy raw mango pickle), the thick and lovely aamras from the alphonsos and kesars, the sweet, sour and minty aam panha and in devouring those fresh fruits themselves. Every single year, this is the only thing that makes Indian summers bearable. :P

I know that summer is long gone and the monsoons have captured us now. But, it isn't yet too late for one amazing mango dish that you can create with the last of the mangoes still available in the markets. THE Mango Cheesecake!

I baked this very basic baked, eggless and gelatin-less cheesecake with mango and it turned out to be the best mango dish I've ever made! :D



Preparation time: 15-20 mins
Baking time: 30-35 mins
Serves: 1 (If you're like me) and 6, if you are normal people.

Ingredients:

1 packet Digestive buiscuits (Hobnobs are my favourites)
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tbsp powdered sugar
------------
1 large, ripe mango - cut in medium sized pieces
350 gms cream cheese (at room temperature)
2 tsp corn starch
1/2-3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom powder (optional)
Mint leaves and mango slices for garnishing

Method:

• Preheat the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 10-15 minutes.



Press down the crushed biscuits firmly and pack them tightly like this.

• Crush enough digestive biscuits, butter and 2 tbsp sugar in a blender to fill 1 loosely packed cup. This forms the base of the cake.

• Spread the crushed biscuits in the cake tin and press it down firmly. Bake this for about 5-7 mins at 200 degrees Celsius so that it becomes a crisp, blended crust for the base.
• Now, blend together the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, mango pieces and cardamom powder to form a thick, creamy mixture.

• Spread this over the crust and put it in the oven for 30-35 minutes. 

• Check once after 25 minutes to see if the cake has started browning at the edges. If it has, it is done. If not, let it cook for another 5-10 minutes. If you have a glass mould, you'll see how the cake develops a lovely darker colour on the top and remains light yellow in the middle.

My cake got a teeny tiny over-baked at certain areas because of the over temperatures being higher in certain areas in the oven. So this is NOT how it is supposed to look like. But, if this colour starts forming at the edges of your cake and your cake starts leaving the tin, that'd mean it is done. Plus, what is garnishing meant for if not to cover up for you? ;)

• Pop the cake in the fridge to set for at least 3-5 hours.
• After pulling it out of the fridge, garnish with mint leaves and mango slices. I went a bit further to use a technique I learnt from Junior Masterchef and garnished my cake with flowers. :P However, these were used purely for colour and are not edible.

And, it's ready to be eaten! Every bite of it tastes like a little piece of heaven, even if I do say so myself. ;)

English Love: Jacket Potatoes

It is no secret that ever since I've come back from England, I've been pining away to go back. So obviously, anything related to England gives me immense pleasure. Of course, I'm not going to start eating fish and chips for meals or sausages for breakfast. But something that I can definitely make and have is jacket potatoes.

Jacket Potatoes with Baked Beans

Jacket potatoes, like my mum said, are potatoes with jackets. (You're right. She doesn't care much for my attempts to bring the world in my kitchen.) Basically, they're potatoes with their skin on. It is something so unique to England and its pubs that everytime I even think of a jacket potato, I invariably picture myself sitting in an English pub (a particular one near Victoria coach station in London which once served me simply out-of-this-world jacket potatoes!)

Anyway. Yesterday, my cousin happened to be at home and since she is quite illiterate about world cuisine, I often take it upon me to educate her. Yesterday was the day for some English cuisine. Not that making jacket potatoes is rocket science. But hey, it's pretty darn amazing! :)

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 1-1.5 hours

Serves: 1 person

Ingredients:

1 large potato (And I mean really large. If not, then 2 smaller potatoes.)

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

3-4 tbsp baked beans (I like Heinz and so, use that one. But, if you don't want to use canned stuff, you can easily make them at home as well.)

1 tsp Olive oil

1 tbsp butter (or more, if you want. :P)

Grated cheese (Cheddar goes brilliantly with this dish. However, if you don't find it or it is too expensive, just use any processed cheese. I made it at a short notice and hence, the only option for me was processed cheese. In Mumbai, you'll find Cheddar at Crawford Market or in any of the Nature's Basket outlets. Also, incidently, if anyone has tried the new Amul Cheddar, can I please have some reviews?)

Method:

If you notice carefully, you'll see where they have been poked with forks

• Clean the potato thoroughly.
• Prick the potato with fork several time so that it has an escape for all the pressure while it will be baked.
• Coat the potato with olive oil and some sea-salt. (Sea-salt works better but if you don't have it, regular salt will also work just fine.)
• Place it on a baking sheet and bake for about 60-75 minutes. (If you want to reduce the cooking time, cook the potatoes in the microwave for not more than 2 minutes first and then, you will only need to cook it in the oven for about 45 minutes. Don't overdo the cooking in the microwave. If it becomes soft even before it is put in the oven, the skin's flavour doesn't develop as well.)
• After about 60 minutes (30 if you're using the microwave method), check if it's done using a fork or a knife. Prick the potato with the fork and if it is soft all the way, then it's done.

Potatoes out of the oven should look like these

• Once out of the oven, carefully make 2 slits on the potato, making a plus (+) sign.The potato will be extremely hot. Be very, very careful. Hold the potato on both sides with a towel and make the slits.

Potatoes with the slits: fluffed with salt, pepper and butter

• Open the potato along the slit-lines and with the help of a fork, fluff it up a bit.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper, slide in the butter and cover with baked beans. 
• Finally, top it up with the grated cheese. 
• Serve immediately.

There are so many variation you can do with this and change it to suit your taste buds and palettes. For instance, you can top it up with spaghetti and carbonara (for the non-veggies) or spaghetti and tomato pasta sauce for an Italian taste; Mexican beans and spices for a South American taste, even chillies and curry for an Indian taste. 

One of the great toppings I've had is peppers and jalapenos sauteed in dark soy and chilli sauce. I tell you, I was in love!

Back with a Salad!

Well, I guess it's time for me to return from my extremely long hibernation and start food-blogging again. So, here I am! Back with a bang! Err, Salad, I mean. ;)

Recently my father was diagnosed with a heart problem and after that, he had to stop being my partner in crime (of eating all the rich food that I make) and monitor his dietary habits. Plus, I was busy and my mother never favoured my sometimes too extravagant, sometimes too creepy-looking, sometimes too smelly, sometimes just wrong cooking. As a result, my culinary experiments came to a screeching halt for about 2-3 months. But, yesterday, I decided enough was enough. It may be her kitchen but she can't take away my guest visit rights forever!
So, I chalked out a health-food menu, which my father can have and which will tantalize my deprived taste-buds as well: Ratatouille with rice and a nice salad.

Rataouille recipe will follow at some point. But this salad - basically just a mix of all the fresh vegetables I had at hand - was so good, I actually regretted having cooked anything else at all! The colours and flavours blend so well that they leave you with a picture of a very inviting and a very healthy dish.


Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves: 3 people (if served as an accompaniment and 1 person if it's for lunch and you're like me.)

Ingredients:

10-15 purple cabbage leaves, shredded
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
7-8 broccoli florets, steamed for 3-4 minutes
1 small tomato
a handful sweet corn, boiled until soft
10-12 peanuts, roasted (optional - I added them after my father had served himself)
2 tbsp flax seeds, roasted
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

• Toss all the fresh vegetables (after treating them the way they have been described above), peanuts and flax seeds in a big salad bowl.
• Just before serving, drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on it. 
• Toss well. (Click pictures. :P) Serve immediately.

Stay healthy, stay happy! Let me know how you used this recipe, how it turned out and what variations you used. :)

Vegan Chocolate and Hazelnut Brownies

Ingredients:

5 tbsp margarine
1 cup cocoa powder (or dark chocolate bits)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 chocolate chips
2 tbsp baking powder
1 cup water

Method:

• Melt the margarine and cocoa powder/ dark chocolate bits together on very low flame. (It's better if you don't heat it directly and instead, melt them through steam boiling. Basically, in a pan, heat some water and over the boiling water, put another pan, in which you melt the margarine and cocoa powder/ dark chocolate bits.)
• Once they have melted and mixed well, add brown sugar and mix well.
• Take the pan off the heat and add all the other ingredients. Mix well until it forms a batter like cake batter, falling in folds.
• Line a rectangle shallow cake tin with baking paper and pour the batter in it. Make sure that it is not concentrated only in certain places. If needed, level it out with a spoon.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 40-50 minutes.
• As soon as it is done and you get it out of the oven, cut in square pieces. 
• You may serve it just like that or with ice-cream and chocolate sauce.

Vegan Apple and Pecan Spice Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour
3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp nutmeg powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
3 medium-sized apples, peeled and diced
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp baking powder
1-2 cups water
1/2 cup pecans

For Icing:

2 tbsp margarine
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp fine icing sugar/ castor sugar


Method:

• Pre-heat the oven at 150 degrees Celcius for about 30 minutes.
• In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, vanilla essence, nutmeg and cinnamon powders and pecans. Mix thoroughly.
• Add baking powder and pour 2 tbsp water on the baking powder. Mix with the other dry ingredients.
• Add the diced apples.
• Pour the water slowly and keep mixing the batter. Pour enough water to make the cake batter fall in folds.
• Grease and flour an 8 or a 9 inch cake tin. Pour the batter in the cake tin and bake for about 50 minutes. After 40 minutes, check with a fork or a skewer if the cake is done. 
• Once it is done, let it cool for about 30 minutes and then, put it out on a plate.

For Icing:

• In a bowl, melt the 2 tbsp on margarine.
• Add the cinnamon and sugar. Mix well.
• Using a pastry brush, glaze the cake with this mixture. 
• Once it has cooled down, sprinkle some icing sugar/ castor sugar on the cake.

Variation: You may use any other nuts, like almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, macademias, hazel nuts etc instead of pecans. You may also use butter instead of margarine if you are not a vegan and it'll make the crust richer.

Sheera/ Sooji Halwa/ Semolina Halwa

Ingredients:

2 cups fine semolina (sooji/ rawa)
1 tbsp ghee
1.5-2 cups sugar
1.5 cups milk
1 tsp cardamom powder
7-8 almonds
7-8 cashews and raisins (optional)

Method:

• Soak the almonds for an hour. Peel and slice them.
• Heat the ghee in a pan. Roast the semolina in the ghee for 5-7 minutes until it becomes more ivory in colour rather than the white.
• Pour the milk in the roasted semolina and stir well.
• Let it cook for 3-4 minutes until it starts becoming sticky.
• Add the sugar and stir well.
• Add the cardamom powder, the sliced almonds and garnish with cashews and raisins, if wanted.
• Serve hot.

Rajma (Red Kidney Beans Curry)

Ingredients:

500 gms Red kidney beans
1 large onion
1 tomato
2-3 tbsp oil

Spices for tempering:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 pinch asafetida (commonly known as hing)
1 tsp ginger paste
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp turmeric

Spices for flavouring:
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tbsp Garam Masala
1/2 tbsp Chaat Masala
1 tbsp chilli powder
salt to taste
4-5 drops of lemon juice

Method:

• Soak the kidney beans overnight.
•  Boil them with some salt until soft (takes about 20-30 minutes in a pressure cooker and about 90-120 minutes in a pan.) Drain excess water and set aside. You may drain the water in another bowl and use the same for cooking later. This water contains a lot of nutrients from the beans. 
• Chop onions and tomatoes finely. 
• Heat the oil in a pan on medium flame (gas mark 3 or 4). When the oil is heated enough, add all the spices for tempering. 
• Add onions and cook until they turn translucent. Keep stirring and tossing the mixture. 
• Add the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. 
• Add the boiled kidney beans. Keep stirring. Cover and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. 
• Add all the spices for flavouring and stir well. 
• Add 1/2 cup of water, cover and let it cook for 7-8 minutes. Keep stirring every couple of minutes.
• Garnish with coriander/ sliced tomatoes/ sliced onions/ grated coconut. (optional) 
• Serve hot with roti/ paratha/ nan bread/ rice.

Palak Paneer (Cottage cheese in Spinach curry)

Ingredients:

1 big bunch spinach

200 gms cottage cheese, cut in  small rectangular pieces
1 big onion
1 small tomato (optional)
1 clove garlic
Salt to taste
5 tbsp oil, divided
1 lemon
water, if needed

Spices for tempering:
1 bay leaf
2-3 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
a pinch asafetida
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Spices for flavouring:
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp Garam masala
1 tbsp Chaat masala

Method:

• Wash and sort the spinach thoroughly.
• Grind it in a blender with the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of salt and some water, (if needed) until it becomes a thick, smooth paste.
• Finely chop the onion and the tomato.
• Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the paneer pieces in it. (You can even deep fry the paneer pieces but they come out almost the same this way and with less oil.)
• Heat the rest of the oil in a pan. Add the spices for tempering.
• Crush the garlic and add it to the oil.
• Add the onions and cook until they are translucent.
• Add the tomato and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Add the spinach paste and stir well.
• Add the fried cottage cheese to the gravy. Cover and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Add all the spices for flavouring. Stir well, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Keep stirring every 2-3 minutes. Add some more water, if needed.
• Garnish with some liquid cream or coriander. (optional)
• Serve hot with nan/ rice.

Vegetable Pulav

Ingredients:

1 cup rice

1 carrot                                                                

1 large onion

1/3 cup peas

1/4 cup sweet corn (optional)

salt to taste

2 cups water

2 tbsp oil

Spices for tempering:
1 tsp cumin seeds
a pinch asafetida

Method:

• Wash the rice and soak it for 10-20 minutes.
• Wash the vegetables and dice onions and carrots.
• Heat oil in the pan. When the oil is hot enough, add cumin seeds and asafetida.
• Add onions and cook until they turn translucent.
• Add all the other vegetables and add some salt. Stir and cook for a couple minutes.
• Add the rice and water. Add more salt if necessary.
• Cook for about 30 minutes in the pan or about 15-20 minutes in the pressure cooker.
• Serve hot with curry and raita.

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups plain flour (Maida)
2 cups sugar

1/2 cup oil
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
a pinch salt
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 - 2 cups water

For Icing:
200 ml fresh cream
Raspberry Jam (optional)
3 tbsp cocoa powder (sweetened or unsweetened. If it is unsweetened, add a tbsp of sugar to it)
1/4 cup water
handful strawberries (or any other fruit that you like - berries and kiwis go the best with chocolate cakes)

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
• Add vanilla essence and oil. Mix well.
• Slowly add the water and keep mixing thoroughly. Stop adding water once the cake batter starts falling in folds. It is just the right consistency.
• Line 2 nine inch moulds with oil and cocoa powder (you can use flour but it leaves white border on a chocolate cake whereas, with cocoa powder, that problem doesn't arise.)
• Pour the batter in the moulds and bake for about 25 minutes. Check after 20 minutes whether the cake is done. If you stick a fork or a knife in the centre of the cake and it comes out clean, then it's done.
• Let it cool before taking it out on a plate.

For Icing:

• Spread some raspberry jam on the first cake and place the second cake on it. (You can even use whipped cream here instead of raspberry jam if you prefer.)
• Make some chocolate sauce by boiling together cocoa powder and water. Pour this sauce on the cake and refrigerate for an hour
• Meanwhile, whip the cream until it has thickened enough that it stays up. Make sure you don't over-whip and make butter. Refrigerate it.
• After an hour, pull out both cake and cream and decorate as you like it. In the cake above, I have used  14 number star nozzle to make a circle in the centre and placed a strawberry and slices of kiwi on it. Finally, using a shell nozzle, I created a ring outline to the cake.

• For this cake, I spread the whipped cream all over the cake evenly, especially the sides. And then, decorated with fruit as wanted.

Vegan Icing:

• Pour chocolate sauce all over the cake. Let it cool in a refrigerator. 
• Melt some white chocolate. Dip a fork in the melted chocolate and randomly spread ribbons on the cake.

Pav Bhaji

Ingredients:

200 gms potatoes
100 gms peas
200 gms onions
100 gms tomatoes
100 gms cauliflower
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon
Pav (Buns, but they should NOT be sweet)
2 tbsp oil
coriander for garnish (optional)

Spices for tempering:
1 tsp cumin seeds
a pinch asafetida (commonly known as hing)
1/3 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ginger paste

Spices for flavouring:
1 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (or 1 tsp if it's any other chilli powder)
1/2 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala (Everst is the best brand to use. Badshah is good as well. But, I'd discourage anyone to use others, especially, Schwartz)
1/2 tbsp Garam Masala (Badshah Rajwadi is the best here. Or Everest. Same applies for the rest)
1 tbsp Chaat Masala
1/2 tsp Kasuri Methi (optional)

Method:

• Wash all the vegetables thoroughly. Boil the potatoes and peas. Peel the potatoes and mash them together roughly.
• Chop all the other vegetables finely.
• Heat the oil. Once the oil is warm enough, add all the spices for tempering. 
• Add the garlic and the onions. Cook until the onions turn translucent.
• Add the tomatoes and cook for one more minute.
• Add the potatoes, peas and cauliflower. Stir well.
• Add 2 cups of water and using a potato masher, mix all the ingredients and mash them on the heat. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add all the spices for flavouring.
• Again, using the masher, mix everything well and keep stirring.
• Cook until almost all the water has evaporated. The Bhaji should be of a thick, flowing consistency.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and finely chopped raw onions (optional). Serve hot with pav, a wedge of lemon and a spoonful of butter melting away in the hot Bhaji!

Cherry Tomatoes, Olives and Sweet Corn Salad

Ingredients:

200 gms Cherry tomatoes
50 gms black olives
100 gms sweet corn
For Salad Dressing:
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of half a lemon

Method:

• Boil the sweet corn in a micro-wave for 2-3 minutes. Drain the water.
• Wash and cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
• Cut the olives in half. (optional)
• Mix all the three in a bowl.
• Mix all the ingredients for the salad dressing and pour on the salad. 
• Toss well.
• Serve fresh.

Malai Kulfi

Ingredients:

2 litres full fat milk (or 1 litre of evaporated milk)
500 ml full fat cream
2 cups sugar
1 tsp powdered cardamom
handful of pistachios (optional - for garnishing)
8-10 plastic cones/ glasses (to be used as moulds for freezing the kulfi)

Method:

• Boil the milk till it reduces to half its quantity. Keep scraping the sides and the bottom of the pan and stirring the milk constantly while boiling.
• Refrigerate the milk for 3-5 hours.
• Beat the chilled milk with a hand-mixer for a couple of minutes and keep aside.
• In a separate bowl, mix the cream and the sugar and whip it for 2-3 minutes - until it gets a flowing consistency. Make sure you don't over-whip.
• Pour the whipped milk with the cream and sugar mixture and mix evenly. use the hand-mixer for a minute after mixing well to make the mixture even more even.
• Add the cardamom powder for the flavour and mix well again.
• Using a spoon, fill the cones or the glasses with the mixture. Seal the cones completely so that there is no space left between the mixture and the seal.
• Keep in the freezer over-night and let it freeze completely.
• Serve directly from the freezer, garnished with sliced pistachios.
• A Variation would be kesar-pista malai kulfi: Mix 6-8 strands of saffron with the milk while boiling it and add sliced pistachios instead of the cardamom powder. This gives a crunchier texture to the kulfi as opposed to the creamier texture of the Malai kulfi.

Chole (Chick Pea Curry)

Ingredients:

500 gms chick peas

1 large onion
1 tomato
2-3 tbsp oil

Spices for tempering:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 pinch asafetida (commonly known as hing)
1 tsp ginger paste
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp turmeric

Spices for flavouring
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tbsp Garam Masala
1/2 tbsp Chaat Masala
1 tbsp chilli powder
salt to taste
4-5 drops of lemon juice

Method:

• Soak chickpeas overnight. Boil chick peas with some salt until soft (takes about 20-30 minutes in a pressure cooker and about 90-120 minutes in a pan.) Drain excess water and set aside. 
• Chop onions and tomatoes finely. 
• Heat the oil in a pan. When the oil is heated enough, add all the spices for tempering. 
• Add onions and cook until they turn translucent. Keep stirring and tossing the mixture. 
• Add the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. 
• Add the boiled chick peas. Keep stirring. Cover and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. 
• Add the spices for flavouring and stir well. 
• Add 1/4 cup of water and let it cook until all the water boils off. 
• Garnish with coriander/ sliced tomatoes/ sliced onions. 
• Serve hot with puris/ bhatura/ roti/ paratha/ nan bread.

Bhindi Fry (Okra dry curry)

Ingredients:

500 gms Bhindi (okra)

2 tbsp Oil

Filling:
100 gms roasted and ground peanuts
salt to taste
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp Garam masala 


Spices for tempering:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
a pinch asafetida (commonly known as hing)
3-4 curry leaves
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1 finely chopped green chilli
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Spices for flavouring:
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chilli powder (can put more if need spicier food)
salt to taste
4-5 drops lemon juice
1 pinch sugar

Method:

• Wash the okra and chop off the tops. 
• Vertically slit each okra for the filling in such a way that it doesn't break into two pieces but there is an opening from where we can fill the insides. 
• Mix all the ingredients for the filling well. 
• Using a spoon, fill the okra with the ground peanut mix. 
• Heat the oil in a pan. Add the spices for tempering once the oil is heated. 
• Put the okra in the pan and mix well. Cover and cook for about 10 mins. 
• Put in the rest of the spices for flavouring and mix well again. 
• Cover and let it cook for another 5 mins. Check if done. If needed, let it cook for 5 more minutes.
• Serve hot with roti/ paratha.

Coconut and Garlic Chutney

Ingredients:

1 grated coconut (Can use desicated coconut if freshly grated coconut is not available.)
3 cloves garlic
2-3 tbsp red chilli powder (Kashmiri chilli powder - if you use any other chilli powder, use only 1 tbsp)
1 tbsp cumin powder
4-5 drops of lemon juice
salt to taste

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients in a blender until it forms a smooth paste. Add some water if needed and blend again. 
• Garnish with some grated coconut. 
• Use as a dip.

Gajar Ka Halwa (Carrot Halwa)

Ingredients:

1 cup carrots
Full fat milk (enough to cover the carrots)
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cardamom powder
A handful almonds

Method:

• Soak almonds in water for about an hour. Peel and slice them. 
• Peel and grate the carrots. 
• Cook grated carrot with milk on a medium flame till all the water content evaporates away. Constantly keep stirring while the carrot is getting cooked. (For a richer product, you can also use Condensed Milk along with milk. In that case, reduce the quantity of milk as needed.) 
• Once the halwa is almost dry and sticky, add sugar and cook for some more time. Keep stirring.
• Again, as soon as the halwa starts becoming sticky, add cardamom powder, mix well and take off the flame. 
• Garnish with the sliced almonds and serve hot. 
• Also goes extremely well with vanilla ice-cream.

Alu Tikki

Ingredients:

3 large potatoes
50 gms peas
salt to taste
2tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder (can add more if like spicy things)
Bread crumbs/ coarse semolina/ cornflour
oil

Method:

• Boil potatoes and peas till soft. 
• Mix and mash them well. 
• Add salt, cumin powder and chilli powder. Mix well. 
• Add bread crumbs/ cornflour/ semolina to bind the mash properly so that it doesn't break when it's on the pan. 
• Make small flat roundlets of the mash. 
• Heat some oil in a frying pan and cook the cutlets till they are golden brown on one side. Flip and cook the other side. (You can even deep-fry them - it's tastier but considerably less healthy!) 
• Garnish with coriander leaves (optional). 
• Serve hot with chutney and/or ketchup.

Raita

Ingredients:

1 cucumber
1 tomato
1 small onion
Yogurt
2-3 tbsp cumin powder
1 tspn Chaat Masala (optional)
salt to taste

Method:

• Wash the vegetables and chop them very finely. 
• Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. 
• If the yogurt is too dense, add a little bit of water to it and then, mix again. 
• Can also use finely chopped coriander instead of onions. 
• Use as an accompaniment with rice or nan bread/ paratha. 
• Best eaten with a hot curry to balance the palate.

Chutney

Chutney is a versatile kind of accompaniment to be eaten with most Indian savoury dishes. Very much like Basil pesto, even chutney can be used with many, many number of dishes and in many number of ways. Though just an accompaniment, chutneys have a place of extreme importance in the Indian Thali. They add the right zing to the other dishes, in the Thali. They can be wet or dry, sweet, sour or spicy, solid or watered down, depending on its type. The best chutneys are prepared using a mortar and pestle [which is where the name of the blog comes from. :)] But, these days, it's just much more simpler to use a blender.

The most common type of chutney is the coriander chutney. Other varieties include mint chutney, mango chutney, garlic chutney, peanut chutney, dates chutney, tamarind chutney, coconut chutney and pretty much anything that catches your fancy. :) Here is a recipe for a minty, coriander chutney:


Ingredients:

1 bunch coriander
1 bunch mint
4-5 chillies
1 clove garlic
salt to taste
1 pinch sugar
1 tsp cumin powder
3 tbsp ground peanuts
juice of half a lemon

Method:

• Sort the leaves from the stems of coriander and mint. Wash thoroughly. 
• Mix all the ingredients with a mortar and pestle (a blender with work just fine too) until a smooth paste is formed. Put some water and pound/ blend more, if needed.
• Garnish with a sprig of coriander/ mint. 
• Serve with hot samosas or pakoras. 
• Can be refrigerated and use for a week at least.

• For variations, can add half a bowl of freshly grated coconut instead of the mint (or even in addition to the mint) for a different flavour.