Murtabak

The first time I ever heard of and tried Murtabak was in Singapore last year. I was so intrigued by the way it was made that I thought that I had to make this as soon as I got back home. I did make this, and that too a number of times, but the recipe got lost in my drafts and didn't see the light of the day. Today, finally, I very proudly present my Murtabak recipe.

Unfortunately, the place where we had this dish in Singapore didn't let me video but I did find this video on Youtube. I was completely awed while watching the guy flip the dough really quickly, and it was paper thin in no time and then it went on to the hot pan, then came the filling (we asked him not to put egg), fold, add a ladle full of oil or butter, roast and ta da da... the Murtabak is ready. I do have the picture of the final dish...

I didn’t manage to flip the dough as the guy in Singapore did, but I was successful in making it paper thin even without that ;-) I filled it with my favourite Baingan ka Bharta. I was very satisfied with the result and am planning to make a sweet version soon :-)

Murtabak originated in Yemen, which has a sizable population of Indian origin; through Indian traders it has spread back to their home countries, to India and Southeast-Asia. The word Mutabbaq in Arabic means "folded". The dish referred to as Murtabak is a multi layered pancake that originated in the state of Kerela. The word "mutabar" is the correct name for the particular dish referred to incorrectly as "murtabak". "Mutabar" is an amalgam of two words, "muta" (being the Kerelite word for egg, a significant component of the dish) and "bar", an abbreviated form of the word barota, or "bratha roti" (the bread the egg is added on to make the dish). The bread base or pancake on which it is then spread over is referred to in Hindi as "pratha roti" or "pratha". (Note the difference in pronunciations, pratha and brata). Courtesey: Wikipedia 

Ingredients

For the dough

1 cup - all purpose flour
2 tbsp - melted ghee
a pinch of salt
1/3 cup - lukewarm water
a pinch of sugar
1 tbsp - sunflower oil + to grease the bowl

For the filling

1 - aubergine (approx 350 grams)
1- onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 big tomato, finely chopped
1 tbsp - sunflower oil
1/4 tsp - cumin seeds
5-7 pieces of curry leaves
1/2 tsp - red chili powder
1/2 tsp - cumin powder
1/4 tsp - coriander powder
1/8 tsp- garam masala powder
salt to taste
1/8 cup - cream
1/8 cup - coriander leaves, finely chopped

For the chutney

80 grams - coriander leaves, finely chopped (I also used the stalk)
1 - green chili, finely chopped
1 tbsp - ginger, peeled, grated
1 big tomato, finely chopped
1 tbsp -sunflower oil
1 tsp - sesame seeds
salt to taste
lemon juice to taste
1 1/2 tsp - sugar
a generous pinch of garam masala

Method

For the filling

1. Prick the aubergine and roast it in a preheated oven (200 degrees C) until the skin scorches. Take out the aubergine, and cool it by putting in water, peel off the skin and mash the pulp. Keep aside
2. Heat the oil in a non stick pan, add the cumin seeds and curry leaves, after half a minute, add the finely chopped onions and saute until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a minute and then add the mashed aubergine and saute for 7-8 minutes on medium heat.
3. Add the tomatoes and all the spices and saute until tomatoes are fully cooked. Add the cream and cook for another 3-4 mins. Lastly add the coriander leaves.

For the chutney

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the sesame seeds and cook for a few seconds. add the tomatoes, ginger, chili and cook for a couple of mins. Add the rest of the ingredients (except lemon juice) and cook until the tomatoes are soft. Lastly add the lemon juice and remove the pan from the heat.

Murtabak

1. Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the ghee and using finger tips, incorporate the ghee fully. Make a well in the centre of the flour mix, add the lukewarm water and knead into a dough. Continue kneading for 5-6 minutes. Add the 1 tbsp of oil and knead again for a couple of minutes. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a wet muslin cloth and let the dough rest for an hour or so.
2. Grease lightly the work top and take a small portion of the dough and spread it out using your finger tips. I tried flipping but failed miserably, so very cleverly, I stretched the dough as far as I could and then used a greased rolling pin and rolled out the already stretched dough as thin as I could.
3. Heat a non stick crepe pan, carefully put the stretched dough on to the pan, put the filling and fold like an envelope. Add very little ghee and roast the Murtabak from both the sides, on medium heat. Serve with the chutney You can follow this video here too.

Enjoy!

It's all about inspiration and upma with a twist!

One needs to be properly inspired and motivated to one's jobs and I am no exception to this rule. My biggest inspiration is my darling hubby, he is responsible for a large part of the cooking I have learnt in the previous years. Not that he taught me how to cook, but he always appreciated my cooking, even if something turns out to be not perfect, or I forget to add salt or sometimes added a bit too much. His ever so supportive and loving nature transformed this novice cook into a decent one.

I also get a lot of inspiration from the places I visit, the different varieties of delicious food that I try , by talking to people and listening to their stories. This upma's recipe's idea was born when I was talking to a friend, who once was invited by someone and had to suffer a really badly made badam halwa (sweet almond indian dish). She said, and I quote, "That halwa looked and tasted like a white chutney, without salt". Well, after the dose of our daily banter we both got back to our work but this statement stuck in my mind.

Both my hubby and I have a habit of talking about our day during dinner. So I narrated this story and also my friend's comment. Immediately he said, „Why not?“ and I asked him what he meant, and bang came the reply, „ It would taste good, this Almond Chutney“. This was enough and I was pondering through out dinner and finally I said, „Badam Upma“. He nodded and said, „Why don't you try it out, if it comes out well then you can put that on your blog“. That's the story behind this innovative and interesting and if I may add, delicious upma. I served the upma with an instant and easy to make chutney. 

Ingredients 


75 grams- almonds, soaked overnight and blanched
3 tbsp – sunflower oil
a generous pinch of cumin seeds a generous pinch of asafoetida (hing) 
1 – green chili, finely chopped
½ cup – low fat milk
½ tsp – peeled and grated ginger
1 tbsp – raw mango, peeled and grated
1 tbsp – dessicated coconut
a generous pinch of black pepper powder (optional) 
1 tbsp – coriander leaves, finely chopped 
1 tbsp – onions, peeled and finely chopped 


For the tempering
1 tbsp – sunflower oil
1/8 tsp – mustard seeds
a generous pinch of asafoetida
a pinch of cumin seeds
7-8 pieces of curry leaves 


For garnishing

lime wedges 

For the Instant Chutney
1/8 tsp – turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chili powder (adjust according to your taste)
1/4 tsp – cumin powder
1/2 tsp – coriander powder
1/4 tsp – lemon juice (adjust according to your taste)
1 tsp – sunflower oil

Mix everything in a bowl and your chutney is ready.

Method

1. Coarsely ground the blanched almonds and keep aside. 
2. Heat the 3 tbsp of oil in a pan on a medium heat, add the cumin seeds, asafoetida, finely chopped onions and chili and saute until the onions are soft. 
3. Add the almonds and saute for a minute, stirring continously. Add the ginger, raw mango, dessicated coconut, pepper powder and mix. Add the milk and cook, stirring continuosly until the milk is all absorbed. Add the coriander leaves and remove from the heat. 
4. Heat the oil for tempering, in a small pan, add the asafoetida, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Switch off the heat as soon as the mustard seeds starts crackling. Keep aside 
5. Put the upma in a small bowl and invert it out on a serving dish, pour some of the tempering on the top and garnish with a lime wedge and serve with the chutney. 

Enjoy!

Momos with spicy tomato dip

It's been really long since I've updated the blog but finally I got my mojo back and hope to blog regularly. A warm hug to all of you for your mails and concern. I am hale and hearty, was just a little occupied with other activities in my life. I conducted a cooking course, "Modern Indian Cooking" and that kept me really busy. This was my first step, going in front of the people and teaching them what I love doing and am passionate about. The course went really well and that's a huge motivation.

I made momos a few days ago, when it snowed here. Yes, the first snow of the season, which is always a happy sight for me. We took a stroll in the neighborhood. 

Isn't it beautiful!! I love snow! I love these cold days! I am a winter baby :-)

Ingredients

For the Momo Wrapper
1 cup - all purpose flour
1/4 tsp - salt
1 tsp - sunflower oil 
water to knead the dough 


For the Filling
1/2 cup - onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup - capsicum, finely chopped
1/2 cup heaped - brown mushrooms, finely chopped
1/3 cup heaped - carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup heaped - zucchini, finely chopped
2 tsp - light soya sauce
2 tsp - chili sauce
1/8 cup - coriander leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp - ginger, peeled and grated
1 1/2 tbsp - sunflower oil
salt and pepper to taste


For the Dip
2 - tomatoes, medium sized
1/3 cup - onions
1/4 cup - capsicum green coloured
1 - green chili (optional)
1 1/2 tbsp - ginger, peeled
1 tbsp - lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp - coriander leaves 

Method


For the Filling

1. Heat the oil in to a non stick pan, add the onions and saute for a couple of minutes,on medium heat add the garlic and saute again for a minute.
2. Add the mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, ginger and capsicum and cook on medium heat until soft.
3. Add the sauces, salt, pepper and coriander leaves and cook for a couple of minutes. Keep aside.

For the Dip
Put all the ingredients in a mixer and grind coarsely. 

For the Momo wrapper

1. Add the salt and flour into a bowl. Add the oil and mix. Add water gradually and knead well to make a hard dough.Knead for a couple of minutes.
2. Cover the dough with a wet muslin cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions.
4. Roll out each portion into a 8 cm diameter circle to make a even momo wrapper.
5. Put approx 1 tbsp of the filling in the centre of the momo wrapper.
6. Apply the water along the edges and fold over to make a semi circle.
7. Pinch at the outer rim.
8. Repeat with the remaining momo wrappers.
9. Arrange the momos in a greased steamer plate and steam for 5 minutes on high heat and 7-8 minutes on medium heat.
10. Serve hot with the dip.

These momos are easy to make and taste really good. Perfect for the season.

Enjoy!

Aloo Dum - Spicy potatoes and away for a month

Aloo dum is one of my favourite starters /snacks. In my hometown, Kolkata, it's also a favourite street food, and, of course, I happen to be a big fan of street food.

Normally I do not eat too much chilli. This is, however, one of the few recipes which I love in spite of it's high chilli content. The dish is spicy and tangy and simply mouthwatering. But a word of warning - whenever I eat this, I always keep a bottle of water and some Kleenex handy. The eating ritual is a classic - I take one bite and then a sip of water, and then another bite, then a quick nose wipe with the kleenex, then another bite, and another sip of water - you get the picture, I guess. My face soon turns red and eyes watery, but still I enjoy this as much as anything else. My sis and bro always pull my leg afterward, but it's worth it! My love for this dish overpowers my lack of tolerance for spicy food.

Of course, the original recipe would have one fry the potatoes - but I generally do a baked version.

I love this one, and I hope you like it too!

Ingredients

500 grams - baby potatoes (or if you don't get them, really small potatoes), boiled and peeled
6 tbsp - sunflower oil + to grease the baking tray
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
4 bay leaves
2 tbsp - coriander powder
2 tbsp - tamarind pulp (adjust according to your taste)
2 tsp - salt (or according to taste)

To be coarsely ground together using little water:
60 grams - garlic, peeled and chopped
6 pieces - whole red chillies
2-3 inches of ginger
1 tbsp - cumin seeds

To garnish: rock salt, lemon juice according to taste and loads of finely chopped coriander leaves 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Grease the baking tray with a little oil. Place the potatoes and mix lightly so that the oil coats the potatoes. 
2. Place the tray in the center of the preheated oven and bake until slightly golden (alternately you can also fry the potatoes). 
3. Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and the coarsely ground paste. Be careful as the paste splutters a lot. 
4. Saute the paste on a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add the coriander powder and salt and cook for another 10 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. 
5. Add the baked potatoes. Mix lightly, cover the bowl and let it cook for 10 mins, stirring occassionaly. 
6. Add the tamarind pulp. cover and let cook for another couple of minutes. 
7. Remove from the heat, but leave the pan covered. To enhance the taste and the flavours, prepare afew hours in advance (previous evening for today, or in the morning for the evening. 
8. Serve at room temperature, after garnishing with the rock salt, lemon juice and coriander leaves (garnish just before eating!). 

Enjoy the potatoes - while I enjoy a prolonged India trip. Will be away for a month, will be in touch with you again in February.

Exotic Veggi Burger

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas! For those who do celebrate it - hope you had a wonderful and happy time with your families and loved ones.

My husband is a die hard burger fan - and is ready to eat one anytime, anywhere. So- especially for him - I made these burgers today for lunch. It did take quite a bit of time making and assembling these, presenting them in a nice way and finally clicking the photos and the rest of the work. After finishing lunch, I happened to talk to both my mom and MIL. As usual, they asked what we had had for lunch, and I told them about the burgers.

My mom was quiet for a second and then she said, "You have a lot of passion and patience - that must have taken a lot of time and effort!" and believe me, that one small sentence meant a lot and covered so many unsaid emotions. It's normally not very easy to impress my mom, but she definitely made my day with that one small sentence. Then, I called up my in laws and had a chat with my MIL. It was the same conversation all over again. She was a little more expressive in letting out her thoughts - but with the same basic content - "that must have taken a lot of time and patience!", and she took down the recipe as well. After talking to both of them, I was basking in a small pool of sunshine and happiness despite the cold gray outside, and enjoying my Christmas thoroughly.

And of course the official taster (my dear hubby) had a big smile on his face throughout the lunch, and for half the day after that!

Well, the moral of the story is - sometimes, when I am in a hurry or in a bad mood or simply run out of patience, I do try and take a short cut. Now, as I am writing this, I am saying to myself - it IS worth the time and effort and sweat, not to take shortcuts, to keep the passion flowing, to go on creating new recipes.

So hold on...this is a long one!

Ingredients

Guacamole

1 - ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and roughly chopped

1 - onion, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp - lemon juice

1 - green chilli (or according to taste)

3 tbsp - olive oil

salt and pepper according to taste

garlic (optional)

1 1/2 tbsp - coriander leaves

Put the avocado pulp, oil, onions, green chilli, garlic, lemon juice, coriander leaves, garlic, salt and pepper in a mixer and grind coarsely. Keep aside.

Tomato Gooseberry Relish

2 medium size - tomatoes, chopped

2 - gooseberries (amla), pitted and chopped

1/2 cup - red bell pepper, chopped

2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

2 - 3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 - green chilli (or according to taste)

1 tbsp - sunflower oil

1 1/2 tbsp - coriander leaves, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

 

1. Heat the oil in a non stick pan. Add the pepper, ginger, chilli and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes on medium heat.
2. Add the gooseberries and cook until they are slightly tender. Add the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients and cook until the tomatoes are soft.
3. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Grind in a mixer. Keep aside.

Zucchini Patties

1 - zucchini, grated

1 - onion small size, peeled and grated

1 - green chilli - finely chopped

2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 - potato medium size, boiled, peeled and grated

2 tbsp - chives, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

sunflower oil to pan fry the patties

1. Squeeze the excessive water out of the grated zucchini and onion. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.
2. Make 6 round patties and pan fry them on medium flame until both the sides are evenly golden.

Beetroot  Patties

1 - beetroot, peeled and grated

1 - carrot, peeled and grated

1 - potato medium size, boiled, peeled and grated

2 -3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 - green chilli (or according to taste), finely chopped

2 tbsp - parsley, finely chopped

1/4 tsp - garam masala powder

1/2 tsp - dried mango powder (amchur)

salt and pepper to taste

sunflower oil to pan fry the patties

 

1. Squeeze the excessive water out of the grated beetroot and carrot. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.
2. Make 6 round patties and pan fry them on low flame till both the sides are evenly golden.

 

Onion Rings

1 - onion, peeled and cut into rounds

oil to pan fry

salt and pepper to taste

Pan fry the onion on a medium flame until slightly burnt. Sprinkle the salt and pepper.Turn carefully and fry until the other side is slightly burnt as well.

 I made the baguette following the recipe from the "Artisan Bread in five minutes a Day".

Butter to toast the diagonally sliced baguettes and I used some dried basil to give a little flavour to the baguettes.

Cheddar slices

green salad of your choice

Vinegar onions (I used one with balsamico)

1. Apply the guacamole to one side of a baguette slice. Put some greens on top of it (I used lambs' lettuce, aka corn salad). Put the zucchini patty and then the cheese slice onto it. Coat the 2nd piece of baguette with the guacamole and put the coated side on the top of the cheese. Apply the tomato-gooseberry relish on the top of the 2nd piece of baguette, put some greens, put the beetroot patty and cheese slice. Coat the 3rd piece of the baguette with the relish and put the coated side on the top of the cheese.
2. Insert a skewer into the burger and top it up with the balsamico vinegar onion.

 

Serve the burger hot and fresh with the salad, pan fried onions, guacamole dip and tomato gooseberry relish. Enjoy the happy faces.

Guacamole Paratha Wraps!

More than half of 2011 is already gone and how... The year has been quite eventful for us (in good ways) until now, and time seems to just fly away...and, somehow, amongst all these things, I really neglected my blog and haven't been writing regularly, or, for that matter, even trying out and creating new dishes took a backseat.

Today, I am posting a recipe which has been lying in my drafts for months now. Finally it sees the light of the day and after this I am on a blog-hopping mode, to check out what my friends have been upto. So beware :-)

 I try to include avocados in my diet plan at least once a week. And, today's recipe was created on one such day. I was cleaning up my refrigerator and wanted to finish off a lot of leftover green stuff before shopping for fresh veggies...you know what I mean, don't you? :-). Thus wre born these wraps - and, since that day, I have made these wraps a number of times and both my husband and I love them.

A special mention of my sis in law, who too is on an avocado spree these days :-) Try out this recipe and I hope you will not be dissapointed and just in case you are, then it's certainly the Avocados that are at fault ;-)

Ingredients

For the Guacamole dip

1 - ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and roughly chopped

1 - onion, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp - lemon juice

1 - green chilli (more or less)

3 tbsp - olive oil

salt and pepper according to taste

garlic (optional)

1 1/2 cup - whole wheat flour (aata), (may need more)

ghee or butter to brush the parathas (optional)

For the filling

1/2 cup - red bell pepper, chopped into cubes

1/2 of an aubergine, chopped into cubes

1/2 of a zucchini, chopped into cubes

1 - carrots, chopped into cubes

4 tbsp - olive oil

1/2 tsp - citric acid

1/2 tsp - red chilli flakes (more or less)

2 pods of garlic, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

100 grams - feta cheese, cut into cubes

Method

1. Put the avocado pulp, oil, onion, green chillies, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper (add coriander leaves if you have some, i ran out of them so couldn't ) in a mixer and grind coarsely.
2. Add the aata (flour) to the guacamole paste and knead. Cover the dough with a wet muslin cloth and keep aside for half an hr.
3. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C
4. Put all the ingredients of the filling except the feta cheese in a baking dish and place the baking dish in the center of the oven and bake for approx 20 mins or until done.Don't forget to toss the vegetables a couple of times in between.
5. Add the feta cheese to the baked vegetables and mix well.
6. Divide the dough into 5 parts and shape each into a ball and slightly flatten them and roll out into thin parathas (approx 18 cms circumference)
7. Roast the parathas on both sides on a non stick pan, brushing a little butter/ghee on each side (optional) 
8. Put the filling in the center of the paratha and cover as shown in the picture and serve hot. 

 My hubby had them with yogurt-garlic-chilli dip (another refrigerator-cleaning-action!) and I loved them even without the dip :-)

Mashawa / Maschaua Kebaps

Years ago, I had this delicious Mashawa soup for the first time at an Afghani restaurant and immensely enjoyed it - the rich flavours and the spicy taste of the soup immediately struck a chord in my heart. Since then, it has become one of my favourites when eating out - and is not only yummy, but a pretty rich source of protein as well - which is important for vegetarians.

I wanted to try out this soup at home for a long long time and bought this packet of mixed beans and lentils thinking I would make it finally. 

I washed the beans, soaked them overnight, and went off to bed. The next day, I continued with the process, pressure cooked the beans and as I was simultaneously doing other stuff, for some strange reason, drained the water completely and left the cooked beans in the sieve. A couple of hours later, I stepped back into the kitchen coz I was starving...saw the beans and was amazed at my own forgetfulness. 

Well, the result was that the beans were all dried up. So, I thought, why not make something else with them? Thus was born this recipe - thanks to my forgetfulness! We had these kebaps with a yogurt dip - and they turned out to be at least as good as the soup, even though a bit different and slightly drier than they would ideally be.

As they say...necessity is the mother of invention!

Ingredients

3/4 cup - assorted beans and lentils, soaked in some water overnight

1 medium size - onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp - dill, finely chopped

3 pods of garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp - ginger, finely chopped

1 - green chilli, finely chopped (more or less)

1/2 tsp - garam masala powder

1 1/2 tsp - lemon juice (adjust according to your taste)

1 tbsp - olive oil +some more to pan fry the kebaps

red chilli powder (optional)
salt to taste

Method

1. Pressure cook the beans for 3-4 whistles/rings, drain the water and leave in the sieve for a couple of hours.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of oilve oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic, ginger and saute until the onions are soft. Add the cooked beans and mash them slightly. Add salt and cook again for a couple of minutes.
3.  Add the lemon juice, garam masala powder and chopped dill and mix well.
4. Remove from the heat. Shape the beans into a long cylinder and insert a skewer inside.
5. Sprinkle a little olive oil on the pan and cook the kebaps until golden brown from all sides.
6. Serve hot with any dip of your choice.

Enjoy!

Avocado Apple Patties

Life's been really busy lately and I don't realise when the day starts and when it comes to an end...but that doesn't mean the end of good food!

Amongst all this hustle and bustle, I do have an interesting recipe to share with you. This recipe was born, on one gray and dull day, when we felt like having something hot and spicy and tasty, "may be fried" said my hubby. Well, frying is a rare phenomenon in my kitchen. Something healthy is more like it. So, after a little scratching of the head and itching of the brain, I went to the kitchen, saw what was available in the refrigerator and baked (instead of frying) these patties.

After having a first bite, he was all happy and so was I. But the patties vanished so quickly, that we would have been even happier if there had been twice as many ;-)

Ingredients

1 - avocado, peeled, seeded and mashed 
1 - medium size par boiled potato, grated 
1/3 cup - yellow pepper, finely chopped 
half a medium size apple, peeled and grated 
1 tbsp - ginger, grated 
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped 
1 1/2 tbsp - coriander leaves, chopped 
1 tbsp - red chilli, finely chopped (they were not that hot) 
1/3 cup - instant oat flakes 
a few drops of lemon juice 
1/4 cup - bread crumbs (more or less) + a little to coat the patties 
salt and pepper to taste 


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. 
2. Mix everything in a bowl and make round patties, coat them with some bread crumbs. 
3. Place them on a lined baking tray and bake them in a preheated oven for approx 30 minutes or until the top is slightly golden brown in colour. 
4. Serve with a mint-yogurt dip or any dip of your choice.

Together with a cuppa tea, these patties were perfect for a cold evening.

Enjoy!

Hot Dates!

I had made this dish some time ago and forgot to post it. Yesterday, when I was going through the drafts, I found this recipe of mine and thought, "Better late than never" and here I am with a very simple to make and elegant looking dish. You will love this immensely if you like goat cheese.

I read somewhere that drinking goat milk is really good for health and I went and bought a bottle of goat milk. With great enthusiasm, I had a sip, and that was it. I knew, I would not be able to finish it off... throwing it away was out of question so I thought to make fresh cheese and this recipe was born. 

I love fresh dates, because they aren't too sweet and also healthy :-) Combining fresh goat cheese with dates was a great idea and both my hubby and I loved this dish. Hope you like it too. 

Ingredients

750 ml - goat milk 
3 tbsp - lemon juice 
1/4 tsp - pepper powder 
salt to taste 1/2 tsp - dried italian herbs 
5 piece - fresh dates, pitted and thinly sliced
1 tbsp - honey 
a pinch of salt
a pinch of rock salt
a generous pinch of red chilli flakes 
basil leaves to garnish 

balsamico vinegar (optional)

Method

1. Heat the goat milk in a pan and when it comes to a boil, add the lemon juice and cook, stirring continuously until the milk curdles. (it took around 10 minutes to curdle so don't lose patience) 
2. Strain the whey through a muslin cloth/fine sieve and let some tap water run over the cheese, which will help in washing off the lemon extract. 
3. Squeeze the muslin cloth to remove excess moisture and if using a sieve, then press the cheese with a spoon to squeeze out excess water. 
4. Put the cheese in a bowl, add the salt, pepper powder, dried herbs and mix well
5. Add the honey, salt, rock salt, chilli flakes and dates in a pan and cook until the dates are slightly brown. (I kept the dates slightly hard, if you want them tender, first cook the dates a bit and then add the honey) 
6. Put the cheese in a small bowl and press it gently and then turn the bowl upside down onto a serving dish and top it up with caramelised dates and garnish with basil leaves and serve. 

We tried one with balsamico vinegar and one without and both tasted good.

Enjoy!

Corn Stuffed Baked Tomatoes

We were away on our much awaited and much needed holiday to London. London is my favourite short holiday destination, I like the hustle bustle of this city, the food and, of course, the shopping... what could be better than this combination:-)

We hogged and shopped and hogged.... Ohhh what a lovely holiday it was. I feel totally rejuvenated and happy. 

After having eaten so many calories, I decided to make something simple and light and healthy. These baked tomatoes have a lovely blend of flavours and looked really cute. 

Ma, my granny, used to make this corn stuffing, which is a starter on its own, and we would finish it off in no time. The first words when I served this dish to my hubby was that "Ma used to make this ." With a smile on my face but watery eyes remembering her, I said, "Yes, I have just put them in tomatoes." 

With or without the tomatoes, this dish tastes great!

Ingredients

4 - tomatoes, medium size

1/3 cup - low fat milk

1/4 tsp - black pepper powder

1 tsp - cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp - sunflower oil

1/8 tsp - cumin seeds (jeera)

a generous pinch of sugar

a generous pinch of asafoetida (hing)

a generous pinch of dried crushed mint leaves

salt to taste

To be coarsely ground without using water

3/4 cup - corn, boiled

1 - green chilli (more or less)

1 tsp - ginger

Method

1. Cut a thin slice off the tomatoes from the top and scoop out the insides.
2. Cut a very thin slice off the bottom of the tomatoes. It helps in keeping the tomatoes stable.
3. Rub a little salt in and around the tomatoes.
4. Heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and hing, when the seeds start to splutter add the coarsely ground corn, salt, sugar, pepper powder and milk and cook on a low heat, stirring continously until the milk evaporates. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
5. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
6. Fill the tomatoes with the corn stuffing, sprinkle the cheese and dried mint leaves on top.
7. Place the tomatoes in a baking tray and place the tray in the center of the preheated oven. Bake until the tomatoes are slightly tender and the skin starts parching.
8. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Beet-Carrot-Tomato Tikka.

Beet, carrot and tomato juice is an integral part of my lifestyle. I have had this juice by the litre, over years and years because of an iron deficiency, and still do. It is one of the most nutrient-full and healthiest things around - and with a little rock salt and a few drops of lemon juice, tastes pretty well too!

When I read about the beetroot recipe event, I thought, may be I could come up with a different recipe, which would at the same time be healthy, taste and look good, and best of all, use up the leftovers from the juice. The result was this tikka recipe. Its really healthy, easy to make and looks simply stunning.

There are some recipes which make one feel really good and this one, without any doubt, belongs to that category. Make it to believe it :-)

Ingredients for the juice

1 - beet-root, medium size, peeled and chopped

2 - carrots, medium size, peeled and chopped

1 - tomato, chopped

1/4 tsp - rock salt

2 inch - ginger, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup - water, approx

salt to taste

lemon juice to taste

For the tikka

1 pod of garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp - chaat masala

1/4 tsp - garam masala

handful of mint leaves, finely chopped

1/4 cup - bread crumbs (more or less)

1/4 cup - flattened rice (poha), soaked in a little water for 5 minutes 

1/4 tsp - red chilli flakes (more or less)

salt to taste

1/4 cup - green and yellow pepper, cut into squares

1/4 cup - onions, cut into squares

olive oil to pan fry

rock salt, dried mint leaves and lemon juice to sprinkle on the tikkas

Method

1. Add the beet-root, carrots, tomato, ginger and water in the mixer and blend well. Transfer onto a muslin cloth and squeeze out the juice in a bowl. Add rock salt, salt and lemon juice and serve.
2. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and saute the onions and peppers and keep aside.
3. Squeeze out the excess water from the flattened rice. 
4. Add the juice leftover in a bowl. Add the squeezed flattened rice, bread crumbs, garlic, mint, masala, salt and red chilli flakes and mix well. 
5. Take a little portion of the juice-extract mixture and shape into a small ball. Flatten it gently and pan fry on a medium flame. 
6. Take a skewer and insert a pepper, tikki, onion chunks and then again a pepper and repeat in any order until the skewer is full. 
7. Sprinkle a little rock salt, lemon juice and dried- crushed mint leaves and serve immediately with a dip of your choice. 

I was in complete awe of this beautiful colour and the amazing taste of the tikka. 

Sending this to Healing Foods-Beetroot, hosted by Priya of Mharo Rajasthans recipes and event started by Siri. 

This recipe also becomes a part of "ONLY" Low-Oil/Low-Calorie. Event hosted by Priya of Mharo Rajasthans recipes, and started by Pari of Foodelicious.

Have a lovely weekend.

Enjoy!

Oktoberfest, Obatzda and some photos...

This weekend saw the start of the famous Oktoberfest. It is a 16 day to 18 day festival held each year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest folk-festival in the world and one of the most popular annual events in Germany, with some six million people attending every year.

Oktoberfest means a lot of beer, people dressed in beautiful traditional bavarian dresses and lots of food and fun. On the Theresienwiese (the fair ground) one can find a lot of rides, for both children and adults, lots of food stalls, and a number of beer tents, built just for the fest. They also serve traditional bavarian delicacies like Hendl (chicken), Würst (sausages), Weisswurst (white sausages), Brezn (pretzels), Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes), Sauerkraut and also Obatzda (a fatty, spiced cheese concoction) and a lot of other traditional hearty fare.

You can read more about the Oktoberfest here.

To go with the fever of Oktoberfest, I decided to make the famous bavarian cheese delicacy Obatzda. There are several ways to make it and this recipe here is my take on it. Obatzda is usually eaten with bread or pretzels and is a classic example of Bavarian biergarten food.

I have tried and made a (comparatively) healthier version. Hope you like it. 

Here are some Oktoberfest photos.

Pepole at the U-Bahn (Tube) Station, trying to get to the Theresienwiese.

The famous statue of Bavaria.

A view from the top- with beer tents, rides, food stalls and thousands of people. 

Obatzda

Ingredients

100 gram - goat camembert, cut into cubes at room temperature

cottage cheese made from 1 1/2 cup of low fat milk, see the recipe here.

2 tbsp - sunflower oil

2 tbsp - low fat yogurt

1/4 tsp - cumin seeds

1/8 tsp - pepper powder (more or less)

1/4 tsp - red chilli powder or paprika powder (more or less)

salt to taste

1/8 cup - onion, finely chopped, to garnish

pretzel to garnish

chives, finely chopped, to garnish

Method

1. Combine camembert, cottage cheese (cooled to room temperature), sunflower oil, yogurt, salt, pepper, red chilli powder and cumin seeds in a bowl of a food processor.
2. Transfer the well blend cheese mixture into a bowl and chill for 2-3 hrs.
3. Garnish the Obatzda with chives, onions and pretzel and serve. 

We had Obatzda with Rye bread, greens and bavarian potato salad. It was a hearty fare indeed :-)

Prost!