Provençal tomatoes

Ingredients

6 large tomato
1-1.5 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 spoons grated parmesan cheese
1 minced shallot
1 clove of minced garlic
1 spoon butter
Parsley flakes
Salt and pepper

Recipe

Pre-heat the oven at 400C
Cut tomatoes in half and scoop them out

Mix butter, minced onion and garlic and put it in microwave for 1.5-2 minutes
Mix the above mixture and all others
Put the stuffing into tomatoes
Place all stuffed tomatoes on a baking dish
Put the baking dish in oven for 15-20 minutes

Spinach pancake with yogurt sauce

Yogurt

Lime juice

Chopped fresh mint leaves/Coriander Garlic, very finely minced

Chopped spinach

Chopped onion

Butter

All purpose flour

Eggs - 2

Milk - 1/3 cup 

Oil

Ground cumin

Ground coriander

Salt

Ground black pepper

Recipe

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, and mint leaves. Put in the refrigerator - allowing flavors to combine - until you're ready to serve the pancakes. You may need to give the sauce a little stir before serving, as the lime juice likes to separate out.


Wash the spinach and if necessary remove some of the stems. Then put the spinach in a large sautee pan with a sprinkling of water, cover, and cook over medium heat (stirring a few times) until the spinach is wilted. This will only take a couple of minutes. Plop the cooked spinach into a colander and let it cool down so you can handle it.


Once it is cool, use your hands and squeeze out as much of the liquid from the spinach as possible. Then chop the spinach up well and set aside.


Heat your tablespoon of butter in a sautee pan over medium-high until it is foaming. Stir in the chopped onion and cook until it has gotten nicely browned. Then turn the heat down very low and allow to cook for about 3-5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, to get them a bit caramelized.


In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, eggs, milk, 2 Tbs. olive oil, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Stir in the spinach and onion until all combined. This should give you a rather thick and quite green batter. (For fluffier pancakes, you can separate the eggs, whisking in the yolks with the other ingredients, then beating the whites until stiff and folding them in as the last ingredient after everything else is combined. I like the pancakes both ways.)

Pour enough olive oil into a large sautee pan to coat the bottom. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering. Drop heaping spoonfuls (about 2 Tbs.) of batter into the pan, then press each mound down with a spatula to make smallish, flat pancakes. Cook until the bottom sides have turned golden brown, then flip and cook another couple minutes. Transfer the pancakes to a serving platter (if needed, keep warm in a 200F oven) and continue frying - using more olive oil as needed- until all the batter is used up. 


Serve the pancakes accompanied with the mint-yogurt sauce for generously smearing them with.

Roasted radish and potato salad

Ingredients

Small red radishes - diced
Potato - diced
Onion - sliced
Carrots (optional) - diced
Bell peppers (optional) - diced
Lettuce - chopped
Olive oil
Salt
Sugar
Black pepper
Paprika
Yogurt
Lemon juice

Recipe

Mix all vegetables except lettuce with olive oil, salt and black pepper
Place potatoes and carrots in one layer on a baking dish
Bake for 10 minutes
Put radishes and onions in one layer and bake for 10-20 minutes

Mix yogurt, lemon juice, salt, sugar and paprika
Put oil in a small pan
Add cumin and fennel seeds
Wait till oil gets the flavor
Cool oil and seeds
Now mix everything and put it in fridge

Fish Pasilade

Fish fillet
Parsley leaves (dry or fresh) - enough to make a paste
Thyme
Garlic cloves
Lemon zest or lemon juice
Salt
Paprika
Vegetables

Recipe

Make a paste with parsley, thyme, lemon zest, garlic, salt and paprika
Put all vegetables on a baking plate
Mix paste and fish
Place fishes on vegetables
Bake for 30 minute at 450F followed by 30 min at 350F and 2 min in broiler

(lamb can be made with this paste but then it would be better to marinate lamb pieces with the paste overnight)

Chickpea pilaf

INGREDIENTS

Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cup
Chicken broth - 2 cup
Raisin mix - 1 cup
Cooked chickpea - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 tb
Red chilli flakes - 1 tb
Oil
Salt
Pinch of sugar
Crushed black pepper

RECIPE

Put cumin seeds and chilli flakes in hot oil
Add cooked chickpea and raisins
Add rice, salt and pepper
Mix everything with spices
Add broth and water
Wait until rice is cooked and water is evaporated

P.S amount of water may vary depending on rice. It's better to add rice and water in 1:2 ratio and then you can add more water if needed

Lentil Chicken Soup

Red lentils - 1cup
Chopped onions - 1
Chopped garlic - 2 cloves
Diced tomato - 2
Diced potato - 1
Diced carrots - 1/2 cup
Corn - 2 fistful
Cream - 1/2 cup (butter and sour cream)
Cilantro - for garnishing
Oil
Salt
Pepper
Lime juice
Cubed Chicken
Italian seasoning

Fry onion, garlic and chicken in hot oil
Add tomato, carrot, potato, lentil and corn
Add water/broth, salt, Italian seasoning
Wait until veggies are tender and lentil is completely cooked (wait for 3 whistles and 10 minute in low flame if using pressure cooker)
Add cream, lime juice
Sprinkle chopped cilantro and a pinch of pepper

Potage permentier (French onion potato soup)

Courtesy - Julia Child's mastering the art of French cooking

Ingredients

1cup diced potato
3/4 cup sliced onion
0.7 lit water
Salt to taste (1/4 tb)
1 tb softened butter
1 tb minced parsley or chives

Recipe

Simmer all vegetables and salt together partially covered for 40-50 minute until all of them are tender (or cook in pressure cooker for 5 minutes, release pressure and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes)

Mash the vegetables and check salt
Add butter and simmer before serving
Decorate with herbs

Plain Vanilla Cake

Baking a cake sounds so hard but it's the easiest form of cooking to me. It's all about measurements. If you have followed the instructions then it's really difficult to mess it up. This vanilla cake has been my all time favorite. So here you go...

Ingredients:

AP flour - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Baking Powder - 1-1.5 spoon
Salt - 1 pinch
Oil - 2.3 cup
Eggs -3 Large
Vanilla essence - 3 spoons
Milk - 1 spoon
I used a 81/2 inch round baking dish for this cake.

Method:

Pre-heat oven at 450F
Mix all liquid and dry ingredients separately
Make a batter with the these two different mixture
Grease a baking dish
Pour the batter in baking dish
Put it inside oven for 30 minutes
Later keep on checking if it is done
If a toothpick/knife can come out clean from the cake then it's ready to serve

coffee cake in a cup

Ingredients:

All purpose flour- 5 Tbsp
Granulated sugar- 7 Tbsp
Cocoa/coffee- 3 Tbsp
Salt- a pinch
Baking powder- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp
Egg- 1 large
Milk- 5 Tbsp
Vegetable oil- 4 Tbsp
Choco chips - a spoon full
Pure vanilla extract- a dash
2 microwave-safe coffee mugs

Method:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a coffee mug to make the cake.
3. Add all liquid ingredients and mix well.
4. Pour out half of the batter into each coffee mug.
5. Microwave the coffee mugs,one at a time, half- filled with the batter, for a minute. If it does not get done in a minute, keep for another 20-30 seconds. (I kept it for 1 minute and 20seconds)
6. Let it cool and dig in.
7. It will be wonderful if you can top with vanilla ice cream

Notes:

1.The baking powder makes it less dense and more soft when compared to the original recipe.(thanks for the idea "not quite Nigellla" !)
2.The top of the cake looks a bit gooey when you take it out from the microwave after a minute. But it will be done already and do not over cook.
4.The cake rises up while cooking, but when you take it out it comes down. So a tall mug/microwave safe utensil is recommended.

Pineapple upside down cake

Upside down Pineapple cake (http://food-thought-for.blogspot.com/2011/01/vacation-that-never-ended-pineapple.html)

2 cup all purpose flour + 1 tsp for dusting

1 1/4^th  cup sugar

1 stick of butter molten + 1/3^th stick molten separately + 1 tsp for coating the pan

1 tsp of vanilla

1 tsp of baking powder

3 eggs

1 cup of milk

1/8^th tsp of  salt

1 can of sliced pineapple.

1 cup pf brown sugar

1 9 inch round pan

Butter and dust the pan
Spread the brown sugar on the pan. Coated the bottom completely.
Pour 1/3^th stick of molten butter evenly on top of the sugar. Now place the four slices.

In a bowl beat the rest (1 stick of butter) for 2 mins.
Add the sugar slowly and keep beating till foamy. About 3 mins.
Add the eggs one at a time and keep beating well after adding each one.
Now add the vanilla.  

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder.
Add the dry mixture to the egg-sugar –butter mixture. BUT along with the milk. Start with the flour mixture followed by the milk. Do this is three installments, beginning and ending with flour. Beat well.

Now, carefully spread the batter over the pineapple in the baking pan.

Preheat oven to 350F for 8 mins. Place the pan in the warm oven and bake for 1 hour, or till tooth pick comes out clean when inserted in the center

Turn off oven and let the  cake rest inside the warm oven for 15-20 mins. Take it out and let it cool completely. 1 hr.

Loosen the edges by running a knife around the edges in a smooth motion. Place your hand on the cake and carefully flip the pan. Tap the back of the pan gently till cake comes out :)

Bengali Chicken Curry and Pulau

Pulau and chicken curry - a hot favorite combination of most bengalies especially on a lazy Saturday. I took an attempt and the result was pretty satisfactory. I followed my maa's traditional recipe for both.

As a kid my grand maa's pulao was one of my favorite foods. She used to cook it in a large brass pan (handi). According to me my maa's pulao was good too but it was different than my grand maa's. My idea was that the secret was hidden in that brass pan. My mom is now an expert Pulau
maker without that pan. I am trying to get there too. I know that sounds too ambitious but I am not going to give up soon especially when recipe is there and you just have to be skilled enough to get the magic.

PULAO

Basmati rice - 3 cup
Water - 5.5 cup
Milk - 1.5 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Yogurt - 2 tbsp
Oil - 3tbsp
Ghee - 1tbsp
Salt - 2 spoon (to taste)
Turmeric - 2tbsp
Red chillie - 1 tbsp
Cashew - handful
Raisins - handful
For tempering
Whole cardamom - 5
Broken cinnamon - 2-3 sticks
Whole cloves - 4/5
Whole black pepper (optional) - 4-5

Put oil in the rice cooker
Add all ingredients for tempering in oil once it's hot
Add cashew and raisins
Wash rice
Put rice in the rice cooker
Add rest of the items
Mix everything
Close the cooker and let it cook

BENGALI CHICKEN CURRY

To Marinate
Chicken
Ginger - Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Turmeric - 2 tbsp
Red Chillie Powder - 2 tbsp

To Temper Oil
Whole cardamom - 4-5
Whole cloves - 4-5
Bay leaves - 2-3 small sized
Broken cinnamon - 3-4 (depending on the size)

Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Chopped Onion - 1 cup
Tomato Sauce - 3 tbsp / Chopped tomato 1cup
Turmeric powder - 2 tbsp
Red Chillie - 2 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Cumin Powder - 2 tbsp

Cut chicken breasts in small pieces
Marinate it for 1-2 hours with all the above ingredients mentioned in the section (To Marinate)
Heat oil in a large pan/pressure cooker
Temper oil with whole masalas
Add ginger-garlic paste
Add onion and fry it till it becomes brown
Add tomato sauce - if adding chopped tomato then fry it till it becomes paste
Add all the remainder masalas
Add chicken pieces
Fry everything for 2 minutes
Add water and close the cooker (if you do not have a pressure cooker then after adding water reduce the flame, close it with a lid and occasionally stir the mixture. Once chicken is ready remove lid and cook it for 3-4 minutes in high flame)
Wait for 1 city in the pressure cooker and then reduce flame and wait for 10-15 minutes
It's ready to serve....

Friday movie evening with Strawberry Blend

It was one of the boring Fridays. My roomie asked me to join her for a Cinderella movie. The movie was not that good so she bribed me with this drink. It looked beautiful and tasted great. I could not resist myself to capture it in my camera and publish the photo along with a rough recipe.

Strawberry Blend

Fresh strawberries
Milk
Orange Juice
Sugar
Tang Orange
Food Color - Red

Make a paste of fresh strawberries and 1-2 drops of food color
Keep 1/2 of the paste separately or you can fill half of your serving glass with it as shown below

Mix Milk, juice and Tang with the rest of the paste

Mix sugar according to personal choice

Now pour this milk shake on top of the paste

For garnishing you can put a piece of strawberry at the edge

It's ready to serve

Kichu Michu (Snacks) - chinre bhaja

Since childhood I have been a big fan of snacks. I guess that is true for all of us. In India I used to ask my mom frequently to give me "kichu michu" i.e. some snacks. I always wanted something new. Now, after coming to US when I have to think about my breakfast, lunch and dinner I understand how difficult it is to provide new snacks item everyday. I used to buy snacks to avoid some extra kitchen time. I managed to save time in kitchen however, I gained too much weight. Thanks to all those packaged snacks. This year I took some resolutions and one of them is to avoid processed foods. My friend taught me this one.

To maintain this idea I am now looking for snacks items too. I think I have to come up with new snack recipes also.

Chinre Bhaja

Poha/Flat rice - 3 cups

Peanuts - 1/2 cup

Craisins/Raisins - 1/4 cup (optional)

Salt - to taste

Sugar - to taste (optional)

Oil - 1/4 spoon

Dry roast Poha till some of them becomes brown

Sprinkle oil and salt on top of it while roasting

Dry roast peanuts separately 

Peanuts should not be over-cooked (it's the tricky part. You have to be very careful with peanuts. If they are done they will be little bit sticky at first but it will be perfect once it's cold)

Add peanuts and craisins and sugar once poha is ready

Store it in a air-tight box

Serve when it's cold

P.S. You can add onions, cucumber, chillie etc. to make it more tasty. But for a graduate student like me this one is more than enough :)

naru-malai (coconut-paneer sandesh)

This year I have celebrated Saraswati puja at my home. After coming to US I have attended saraswati puja twice. The bengali professors in my university celebrate it at their home. There are three reasons for which I wanted to organize the puja this time.

1. In Professor's house the priest is not bengali and he uses some new anjali mantra which is very disturbing.... :(
2. Whenever bengali professors invite us for a puja they specifically ask not to bring non-bengali people. However, most of my friends here are non-bengali. I do not enjoy puja without them.
3. Although we wanted to organize the puja we were not confident enough. This year my friend Anushka's mom made it possible.

For puja, I was managing the cooking department mostly. We invited most of our friends (~35 people). Our friends helped in cutting vegetables. Our menu was simple, typical saraswati puja menu, khichuri, bandhakofi er tarkari, tomato chatni (I'll post their easy recipe soon). Friends brought some other foods also. We also arranged 5 types of sweets, 5 fried items.

                       

Enough of puja description. I made this naru-malai as a prasad. It's easy and tasty.

NARU-MAlAI

Whole-fat milk - 1Gal

Vinegar - 3/4th cup 

Water - 1/4th cup

Condensed Milk - 1can

Grated coconut - 1 cup

(Optional)

Craisins/raisin - 1 for each sandesh

Ground cardamom - 2 tbs

Boil the milk

Mix vinegar with water

Add the mixture in milk

After adding vinegar the milk will start to break 

Keep the mixture on low flame

Once the paneer and water become completely separated, drain out the water as much as you can

Take the paneer in a straining cloth and hang it for overnight 

Next day, heat oil

Add cardamom powder

Add paneer and condensed milk and grated coconut

Now keep on stirring so that it does not stick at the bottom

If you have drained water properly you do not have to stir a lot

Once the mixture becomes tight enough that you can make balls with it pour it in a plate

Now make round, square (whatever shape you want) shaped pieces with this mixture

Do not forget to put 1 raisin or craisin inside it

P.S. This sweet has coconut and paneer both of them get spoiles quickly. Try to finish it fast. Usually it's so tasty that you do not have to worry about it. :)

Baked Cauliflower with Methi

I love to eat cauliflower but do not like to cook. Whenever I have attempted all florets were broken and it became tasteless. Mom suggested to cut them in big pieces but cutting cauliflower is not exciting especially if we can get them in a bag ready to use.

After the 'success' of Baked veggie part 1 I was really excited to make another baked dish and i thought I should give cauliflower a try. Guests tasted it and now for all the upcoming potlucks they want me to make baked dishes only :) :) Although baking takes lot of time but you do not have to stir it frequently and you can do anything once you put it inside the oven.

Before going into the details of the recipe I must admit one thing that I used a paste again but it's not necessary. One can used chopped stuffs too. I used the paste as I have got a new Magic Bullet and I am very lazy to chop things.

Baked Cauliflower with Methi

Cauliflower - 1 bag of frozen cauliflower

Peas - Handful 

Tomato - 2 small roma tomatoes

Ginger - 1inch

Garlic - 2 cloves

Kasori Methi - 2tbsp (heaped)

Turmeric - 1tbsp

Coriander Powder - 1&1/2 tbsp

Red Chillie Powder- 1-2 tbsp (depends on the hotness and on your taste)

Water - a little bit

Oil - 1 spoon

Olive oil - a splash

Salt - to taste

Cilantro leaves (optional)

Pre-heat the Oven at 450C

Make a paste of tomato, ginger and garlic

In a small pan add Kasori Methi in hot oil

Add the paste when Kasori Methi starts to become brown

Add all the spices and keep on stirring till the raw smell of different ingredients are gone

Add water so that it does not dry up completely

Place frozen cauliflower and peas in a baking dish and keep it inside the oven to thaw them

now take them out and cover it with the masala and spray some olive oil and mix well

Cover the baking dish properly and keep it in the oven for 1.5 hour at 350C

(It might take less time so keep an eye on it after 1 hour)

When cauliflowers are done sprinkle some cilantro leaves

it's ready to serve

Baked veggie part 1

First question is why there is a "part 1" in the name?

Recently I have become a fan of baking. I am trying to make baked vegetables in different ways and I do not have a big stock of names. That's why there is a "Part 1". I have just made it.. Actually it's still inside the oven.

Today I came back home pretty tired. I had to cook but was not in a mood and did not have my essential ingredients at home like onions etc. Suddenly this idea came into my mind. It has come out really good. So here is the recipe for my Baked veggie Part 1.

Baked veggie part 1

Mixed Vegetables - I used one bag of frozen vegetables (beans, peas, carrots, corn)
Tomato - 1
Ginger - 1inch
Garlic - 1 clove
Salt - to taste
Chile powder - 1tbs
Olive oil - 1tbs

Pre-heat the oven at 450C.
Make a paste of tomato, ginger and garlic.
Put all vegetables in a baking dish.
Mix them with the paste, salt, chile powder and olive oil.
Cover the baking dish and put it inside the oven and reduce the temperature to 350C.
Cook for 30-45min.
switch off the oven but do not remove the baking dish.
Wait for 10-15 min.
It's ready to serve.

P.S. You can avoid making a paste. Chop them and mix with the veggies.