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Fettuccine Alfredo

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Fettuccine Alfredo2I love Fettuccine Alfredo. Every time I order it at an Italian restaurant, my kids tease me for not trying something new. I just like the fact that it takes only pasta, butter, cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper to create such a heavenly dish! In preparation for this recipe, I tested several from different magazines. After a few modifications, I have finally come up with this version that my kids and I think turned out the best.

When I have unexpected guests, Fettuccine Alfredo is on my dinner menu. Its quick and requires ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and refrigerator. Serve it with thick slices of garlic bread and a hearty tossed salad. Try it and let me know what you think.

Fettuccine Alfredo
1 pound dried Fettuccine
1½ cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 tablespoons pasta water
Fresh parsley for garnish, optional

In a saucepan, bring 1 cup heavy cream and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Reserve ½ cup of the cream for later. Lower the heat and simmer gently until the milk and butter mixture reduces to ½ cup. It will take about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the remaining ½ cup of cream. Season with salt and pepper.

Using a large pot, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Remember to add salt to the boiling water before you add the pasta. When the pasta is cooked but still firm when bitten, reserve 3 tablespoons of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and put it back into the pot.

In a large, shallow serving bowl add half the finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Pour the warm butter and cream mixture over it. Immediately add the hot pasta and the reserved pasta water. Toss well and then sprinkle the other half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve right away.

Playing with Food – Carving a Tomato Rose

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Tomato rose 7
Have your parents ever told you to stop playing with your food? Well, there are some professional chefs that are called Chefs du Garde Manger, who are famous and much sought after because they play with food. They are masters of sculpting ice, carving fruits and vegetables, or creating elaborate buffets.

Margaret_BangkokThe way we present food greatly enhances the appetites of our diners, and the overall experience of the meal. Even a small garnish makes a huge difference. My fascination with fruit and vegetable carving began when I first visited Thailand. It seemed like every fruit on the platter was carved. It was an insatiable feast for my eyes. I enrolled in a short course in Bangkok that taught me the basics. When I wrote my first cookbook, some of my pictures included what I had learned – an onion lotus, carrot knots, radish tulips, a watermelon basket and an onion chrysanthemum.

Today I will share with you how to make a tomato rose. There are specialized tools for vegetable and fruit carving but all you will need to make the tomato rose is a small sharp knife. I added a short video at the end of this post that might also be helpful.

Tomato Rose

You will need a sharp knife and a tomato that is ripe but firm.

Starting at the stem end of the tomato, peel a half-inch wide, thin strip of the skin all the way around the tomato, finishing at the base end. The strip must be peeled thinly so it will roll evenly.

Next place the tomato strip skin-side down, on a cutting board. It will form an elongated “S.”  Start rolling up the tomato skin to form a coil. When almost all the skin has been rolled, sit the tomato rose on its stem end.

If your rose looks odd, you’ve probably turned it upside down while rolling the peel onto the stem end. I’ve done it many times. Just turn it over.

You can use the tomato rose to garnish your dishes or it can be used for a place setting, with a personal touch, like the picture above.

Video on how to make a tomato rose

Curd Rice (Yoghurt Rice)

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Curd rice7This is my version of the popular South Indian curd rice. It is called dahi bhath, thayir sadam, masar anna, and perugu annam depending on which part of the country you come from. I’ve used Basmati rice, plain whole milk yoghurt, and heavy cream in my recipe. I bought the yoghurt that I used for this recipe from the Indian grocery store, but you can also use whole milk yoghurt from the regular grocery store. Just make sure that the yoghurt is not flavored. In my version, I did not mash the rice as I like to keep the grains whole. To some of my readers, this may not sound like the traditional curd rice recipes from South India, but I like the creamy, comforting, distinct flavor of this rice dish, and I hope you will too.

A South Indian meal often ends with curd rice. It has a calming effect on your digestive system after a spicy meal. You can also use leftover rice to make this dish. Serve it with pickle, chutney, or a simple vegetable dish.

Curd Rice

2 cups Basmati rice
4 cups water
4 teaspoons salt
2 cups plain whole milk yoghurt (unflavored)
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon split bengal gram dal (chana dal)
1 teaspoon black gram dal (urad dal)
1 stalk curry leaves
1 finely chopped green chilli (optional)
a pinch of asafoetida

Put the rice in a medium bowl and add enough water to cover it. With your hands gently swish the rice so as to release the excess starch. Pour off the water and repeat four or five times until the water runs almost clear. Drain in a colander.

Put the rice in a small saucepan along with the water and salt. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork and let it cool to room temperature. Beat the yoghurt with a fork until creamy and then stir in the heavy cream. Once the rice has cooled completely, add the yoghurt-cream mixture. Mix well and set aside while you prepare the seasoning.

To season the rice, heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add mustard seeds, and when they pop add the split bengal gram dal. When it turns light brown add the black gram dal and fry until it also turns light brown. Add the curry leaves, green chilli, and asfoetida. Fry for 30 seconds. Turn off the stove and pour the seasoning over the rice. Mix gently so the rice is well flavored with the seasoning.

Nutrela Curry

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Nutrela Curry2I’m lucky to have one of my nephews living close by. He recently dropped some groceries to my home and said, “Aunty, I see that you are cooking a lot because of your new website, so I thought I would bring you some ingredients!” Thank you, Eddy!

Among the ingredients he brought was a box of Nutrela Soya Chunks. It is made by Ruchi and comes in three variations – soya chunks, mini-chunks, and granules. It is known in India as Soy Mealmaker and it can be purchased at Indian grocery stores or even from Amazon.com. It is an excellent source of protein and a great alternative to meat for vegetarians. I use soya chunks to replicate non-vegetarian dishes. I find that it takes on the taste and flavor of the spices and vegetables that I add.

The first step in preparing Nutrela for cooking involves soaking the chunks in warm salt water for ten minutes. You can omit the salt if you intend to make a sweet dish or if you have salt restrictions. The second step involves draining the water and washing the chunks until the water runs clear. Squeeze the excess water from the chunks and it is ready for you to use in your curry. Here is a recipe that I tested yesterday.

Nutrela Curry
1 cup chopped onions
1 inch piece of ginger
5 cloves of garlic
3 green chillies
¼ cup chopped cilantro
4 tablespoons oil
4 cloves
4 green cardamoms
2 bay leaves
2 black cardamoms
1 inch piece of cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons coriander powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 cup diced potatoes
½ cup frozen peas
2 cups soya chunks (soaked, drained, washed per instructions on the Nutrela box)
2 cups vegetable stock
salt to taste
½ cup yoghurt

Pulse onions, ginger, garlic, chillies, and cilantro in a blender and process until it is ground. Scrape down the sides of the blender once during the process. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the whole spices (garam masala) – cloves, green and black cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon, and cumin seeds. When the cinnamon stick unfurls and the cloves and other spices pop add the ground onion mixture. Cook stirring until fragrant, about five minutes.

Next add the tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid evaporates and the oil separates. Add the chilli, coriander, turmeric powder and salt. Stir for 30 seconds and then add potatoes, peas, soya chunks, and stir in the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes and peas are done and the curry begins to thicken. Add the yoghurt, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another seven minutes. Your delicious, protein-packed curry is ready to be served with steaming hot rice.

Croissant with Poached Egg

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Egg 4For the past several years, my friends and I plan a family brunch during the Christmas holidays. Our children have grown up with this tradition, and they look forward to the occasion with anticipation.

Croissants with poached eggs, avocados, tomatoes, sprouts, and hollandaise sauce is Carla’s favorite item on the menu! While we were planning the menu this past year she whispered, “Aunty Maggie, are you making that croissant and egg thingy?” I loved the compliment because Carla is an accomplished baker, cook, and entrepreneur. Here is a link to Carla’s website.

Poaching eggs, to some, may sound daunting, but it’s easy. I’ve created a video to show you how. I am a novice at online videos, so please be patient as I learn.

This recipe looks long because it has three components. Poaching the eggs, making the hollandaise sauce and assembling the croissant sandwich. Trust me, it’s worth every bite. I’m sure at least one person would readily agree!

Croissant with Poached Egg
4 croissants
2 avocados, sliced
2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
4 oz box of Alfalfa sprouts
4 poached eggs (see video)
Hollandaise sauce (see recipe below)

Slice each croissant in half, place them cut side down on a baking tray and toast them in an oven set at 350 degrees for five minutes.

Poach eggs (see video on how to poach eggs), and make the hollandaise sauce (see recipe below).

On the bottom half of each croissant put alfalfa sprouts, avocado slices, tomatoes, a poached egg, a tablespoon of hollandaise sauce and then the top half of the croissant.

To make the Hollandaise sauce
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 stick of butter, cut into half-inch pieces
¼ teaspoon chilli powder (or cayenne)
½ teaspoon salt

In a saucepan add the yolks, water, lemon juice, and butter. Turn heat on low and keep whisking constantly. You will see bubbles forming along the edge of the pan and in about eight minutes the sauce will start to thicken. Remove from the heat. Season the sauce with chilli powder and salt.

Video on How to poach eggs

Puri and Bhaji

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Growing up in Pune, Maharashtra, my family often traveled by train to Mumbai. Traveling by train was always exciting. Whenever we stopped at a station, I would scan the platform, looking for the puri-bhaji and aloo bonda walas (vendors). Puri-bhaji is a quick and satisfying fix for hungry travelers! I remember relishing every bite – an integral part of our trip’s adventure. And as the train pulled away, we eagerly awaited the next station for dessert – the famous Lonavala chikki. Simple pleasures are what some of my memories are made of.

Today, I am sharing a recipe for puris and bhaji. Puris are whole-wheat deep-fried bread, and bhaji is a potato side dish that often accompanies puris. Puris and bhaji can be served as a meal by itself or individually as side dishes. The main ingredients for bhaji are potatoes and onions. I’ve spiced my bhaji recipe with a twist on the train platform offering. Hope you like my version!

For the Puris
2 cups wheat flour (Indian wheat flour or Pillsbury Chakki atta)
2 teaspoons oil
1½ teaspoons salt
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon of warm water (approximately)

Put the wheat flour in a large mixing bowl, and make a well in the center of it. Add two teaspoons of oil. Mix the flour, and oil well. Add salt to the warm water, and add it to the flour. Knead to make a stiff dough. Divide the dough into 20 equal sized balls. Cover with a damp paper towel, and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed wok.

With the help of very little dry flour roll each ball into 4” diameter diskettes. Cover them with damp paper towels until all the puris are made. Deep fry on medium-high heat until light brown on both sides.

For the Bhaji
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon yellow split peas (Channa dal)
1 teaspoon split black gram (Urad dal)
1 stalk curry leaves
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
3-4 finely chopped green chillies (adjust to your taste)
3 cups sliced red onions
3 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 diced tomato
4 cups diced boiled potatoes
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large pan. Add mustard seeds, and when they splutter add cumin seeds. Lower the heat to medium, and add the yellow split peas, and wait for a minute until they they turn light brown. Add the spit black gram, stir until they also turn light brown. Then add the curry leaves, ginger, green chillies, onion, salt, and turmeric. Saute until the onion turns transparent. Add the tomato, and saute for another two minutes then add the diced potatoes. Mix gently, cover the dish, and let it cook over low heat for five minutes. Serve garnished with chopped coriander.

Namkeen (Salty Crackers)

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Namkeen
Happy New Year, friends. I wish each one of you peace, happiness, good health, prosperity, and good eats in 2013!

Some of you asked me to post a recipe for namkeen. Many of my recents posts have been Indian sweets, and that is because I have an insatiable sweet tooth. Namkeen is a snack that most Indian homes make for tea-time. This recipe is easy, and the namkeens are infused with nigella (kalonji), carom (ajwain), and cumin (jeera) seeds giving them a distinctive, and peppery twist.

For Christmas, I used a star shaped pastry cutter to make the namkeens shown in the picture. But you can also cut them in diamond shapes with a karanji or pizza cutter. I hope your namkeens turn out well.

Namkeen
4½ cups all purpose flour
1¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup oil
½ teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji)
½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
¾ cup water (approximately)
Oil for deep frying

Sift flour, and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour, and salt mixture, and add the oil. In the palm of your hands, lightly crush the nigella, carom and cumin seeds, and add them. Mix the flour, salt, oil, and seeds until the flour is crumbly. Then add water, a little at a time, to make a stiff dough. Cover with a damp towel, and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into three parts. Knead each portion again, and make a smooth ball. Roll each ball into a circle that is ¼ inch thick. Cut into diamond shapes. Or, use a small star shaped pastry cutter to cut out little namkeens.

Heat oil in a wok (kadai) over medium-high heat. When you drop the namkeens in the oil they should drop to the bottom of the wok, and come up to the surface of the oil slowly. Each batch that you fry will take at least 10 minutes. Fry the namkeens until they are light brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels, and cool completely before you store them in an airtight container.

Karanji

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Karanji final

MERRY CHRISTMAS, readers! I am sure many Indian homes have Karanjis during this time of the year. They are a popular Maharashtrian sweet, but other regions in India also make them. Most often, the filling is made from dry coconut (copra), and the pastry shell is made from all purpose flour, ghee (clarified butter), and salt. You can buy ghee at any Indian grocery store. Many families have their own variation of this Christmas treat.

But, in my view, nothing came close to the karanjis made by my little sister, Sonia Poddar. They were the best I had ever tasted! They melted in my mouth. The shell was flaky, crisp, and crunchy, and the freshly grated coconut filling had just the right amount of sweetness. I asked her if I could share her recipe with you, and she graciously agreed. Thank you, Sonia.

Since these karanjis are made with fresh coconut, they are meant to be eaten soon after you make them. The recipe below will make about 20 small karanjis. If you want the karanjis to last longer, then dry roast the freshly grated coconut over medium heat until the water in the flakes of coconut evaporate, and they turn light brown, and smell fragrant.

Karanjis

For the pastry shell
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons ghee
¼ teaspoon salt
Warm water
Oil for deep frying

Rub ghee into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. Add warm water to make a smooth dough; approximately 1/3 cup of water. Cover the dough with a damp towel, and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.

For the filling
1 cup freshly grated coconut
1 cup sugar
1 cup finely chopped nuts (cashew and almond)
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
1 teaspoon poppy seeds (khus khus)

Roast poppy seeds in a small pan over low heat for one minute. Put all the ingredients in a bowl, mix well, and set aside.

Divide the dough into 20 equal sized portions and roll them into balls. Keep them covered with a wet towel so they do not dry out. Roll them into thin circles. Wet the edge of the circle with water. Put one teaspoon of the filling in the center. Gently fold over the filling to make a semi circle. Press the edge well, with your finger tips to seal. Trim the edge with a pastry cutter or karanji cutter. This will also help seal the edge of the karanji. Keep the karanjis in a tray, and cover them with a damp paper towel to keep them moist until you are ready to fry them.

Place a heavy bottomed wok (kadai) over medium-high heat, and pour oil to a depth of about five inches. Fry a few karanjis at a time until they turn light brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Almond Brittle

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Almond Brittle2

Happy Holidays to all my readers! Christmas is seven days away, and I’ve been busy in the kitchen making doughnuts, namkeen (Indian salty crackers), coconut ice candy, and my all-time favorite – almond brittle.

I’ve been making almond brittle for my friends during Christmas for years, so I thought I would share the recipe with you. But, before I do, let me tell you about the person who first taught me how to make almond brittle.

Sarojini Raj is her name, but to me she will always be “akka”, which in Tamil means respected and cherished older sister. I learnt so much from her. I learnt about unconditional love, and giving without expecting anything in return. I watched her manage her time efficiently. She kept an impeccable home while working full time, cooking three meals a day, and the list goes on and on. Thank you, akka, for your love, and for being such an amazing role model to me.

Almond Brittle (slightly revised)

½ stick butter (4 tablespoons), room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.

Place a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add butter (make sure it is at room temperature), sugar and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until the butter, sugar and salt are well incorporated, and then add almonds and sesame seeds. Turn heat up to medium-high.

This is the point where you have to pay close attention, and keep stirring constantly. When the almonds and sugar begin to brown, and turn to a light caramel color, and you see the melted butter separate from the rest of the mixture, turn off the heat. Very carefully, pour the mixture onto the foil lined baking sheet. Spread to a thin, even layer with the back of the wooden spoon. Let the almond brittle cool completely before you snap them into pieces.

Store in an airtight container. Or, put them in little bags or boxes, as shown in the picture, and share them with your friends. They make delectable little gifts for Christmas.

Medu Vada

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Medu vadais are one of my favorite tea-time snacks, but I cannot say that I am an expert at making them. However, I don’t give up easily and I think I’ve finally found the secret of making crisp on the outside, and light, and fluffy on the inside, medu vadais. As I’ve mentioned in the recipe, you have to beat the batter until it is the right consistency. You can test if the batter is ready by dropping a small dollop into a bowl of water.  If it floats, then the batter is ready.  If not, beat the batter a little more and test again.

In the picture the medu vadais I’ve made are smaller in size because I wanted to use them as a tea-time snack. If you would like to use them for breakfast or as a side dish then you may wish to make them larger in size. This recipe is not for the faint of heart. But try it out, and I am sure you will succeed. The end result are crisp, light, flavorful medu vadais so don’t give up.

Medu Vada

1 cup whole black lentils (urad dal)
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
½ cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped curry leaves
2 teaspoons finely chopped green chillies
2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
A pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Roast and powder
1 tablespoon black lentils (urad dal)
1 teaspoon uncooked rice

Soak the 1 cup black lentils in water, overnight. Roast one tablespoon of black lentils and one teaspoon of uncooked rice until fragrant and lightly colored. Cool completely and powder in a coffee grinder.

Drain the lentils that were soaked in water, and grind in a bender adding about two tablespoons of water. Do this in two batches scrapping down to make sure all the lentils become a smooth thick batter. Put the batter into a large bowl and fold in the roasted lentil and rice power. Beat the batter well with a spatula until light. To test if the batter us ready, drop a tiny amount into a small bowl of water if it floats the batter is ready. However, if the batter sinks you will need to beat the batter a little more.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat and add oil for deep frying. Dip your fingers in a small bowl of water. Take a heaping tablespoon of the batter and roll it into a ball. Make a hole in the center with your thumb. It should look like a small doughnut. Gently slide it into the oil.

Turn the medu vadais when the edges turn golden. Fry both sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve vadais with your favorite chutney.