Peach and Goat Cheese Tartine

This was a spur of the moment invention. I had some store-bought pizza crust, goat cheese, arugula and peaches that needed to be consumed immediately. So I combined them all on a lazy Sunday morning and it turned out to be pretty good. Even the photos turned out so good, I posted them on instagram instantly. CNN food shortlisted the above photo for their 5 breakfast ideas article. Click on this link to check it out. This was so exciting and rewarding!

Ingredients:

Peaches - 2 pcs., sliced thinly

Brown sugar - 2 tbsp
Butter - 2 tbsp, melted

Goat Cheese - 2 tbsp
Cream Cheese - 1 tbsp
Mozzarella Cheese - 4 or 5 slices
Pizza Crust, half baked - small (square or rectangle shape preferred.
Arugula - small bunch
Olive oil - 2 tsp

Method:

First prepare the peaches by slicing them thinly and arranging them on a buttered baking sheet.
Drizzle melted butter over the peaches and brush them to distribute evenly (or pat them with the back of a spoon). Sprinkle brown sugar over the peaches. Broil in oven for 8 minutes.

Mix the cream cheese and goat cheese together. Spread it evenly on the pizza crust. Drizzle olive oil and bake for 10 mins in a 450 degree F oven, or until cheese starts to brown slightly. Take the pizza out and arrange arugula over the top. Then place mozzarella slices (optional). Arrange peach slices in groups of two or three as shown in picture. This would make it easy to cut the pizza into equal pieces.
Bake again for another 3 minutes. Divide into equal portions and serve.
You can also use slices of french bread (baguette) instead of pizza crust.

Goat cheese and peach tartine #breakfast #homemade #instafood #yum #cnnfood

A photo posted by Ancy Alexander (@ancyalexander) on Oct 4, 2015 at 10:30am PDT

So #thrilled to be mentioned on CNN.com for #cnnfood breakfast challenge! The Goat's cheese and #peach tartine was a spur of the moment idea for breakfast on a beautiful Saturday morning. Thank you @sophieeastaugh This is #inspiration to all foodies and small time bloggers like myself. Link in bio #cnn #excited #cheeseisforbreakfast #cheeselovers #cheeseloversunite

A photo posted by Ancy Alexander (@ancyalexander) on Oct 14, 2015 at 12:19pm PDT

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Chinese chicken dumplings

Ingredients:

Minced chicken - 1 lb.
Shitake mushrooms (dried, soaked and squeezed dry) - 1/4 lb. (half a packet)
Napa cabbage - 5 leaves, shredded (marinated for 20 mins with salt and squeezed)
Sambal - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 1 clove, minced fine
Ginger, minced - 2 tbsp
White pepper powder - 2 tsp
Scallions - 2 stalks, minced fine
Hoisin sauce - 2 tbsp
Light soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Lime zest - 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil - 2 tsp
Gyoza wrappers - 1 packet

Method:

Mix all ingredients except wrappers. Marinate in refrigerator for at least half an hour.

Fill a small bowl with water.
To assemble dumplings: Spoon 1 teaspoon of chicken mixture and place into center of wrapper. Dip the tip of your finger into the small bowl of water and run your finger along the edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over to create a half moon shape, or a triangle if using square wrappers. Pinch the edges of the wrapper starting in the middle to seal, making sure all air has been removed.

To cook dumplings: Place a steamer lined with baking paper over simmering water.
Cook dumplings, in batches, for 15 minutes or until tender and cooked through. Serve.

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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I love making a soup as one of my Christmas dinner courses. Last year I made a delicious pea soup. I did not have the time to take photos and note the recipe down, since I had guests coming over and I was in a mad rush to get everything done on time. I think I'll make it again before the winter ends.

This year, I decided to use a vegetable I've never cooked or even tasted before. I was looking at the all the fresh seasonal vegetables at a local farm here, called Donaldson Farms. They have amazing chocolate milk there! I saw different types of squash on display, and they all looked beautiful! I've rarely eaten anything from the squash family (except for pumpkins) so decided to give butternut squash a try.

I made this in advance on Christmas Eve and served it as my second course on Christmas with Gougères.

I referred a few videos on how to cut this up. I must say, it was a lot of work and requires more strength than I had thought. Especially making the first cut in half.

I mostly followed the recipe on Food.com This recipe called for fresh parsley, which was then pureed along with the other ingredients. I feel pureeing parsley ruined the taste of the soup. It gave that raw green grass sort of taste, which made me feel like a cow eating grass! It also ruined the beautiful orange color of the soup and gave it a sickly green hue. So I would avoid this next time, and probably follow another video.
If I had watched this video first, it would have made my life much easier!

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash, peeled, diced (about 5 cups)
1 medium onion, large dice (1 cup)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 apple, skinned, large dice (1 cup)
48 ounces chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons parsley, fresh, chopped - my recommendation, do not use!!
1 tablespoon thyme, fresh, chopped
crouton (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Method:

1 Roasting: Preheat oven to 450. Peel and dice squash into 1/2 inch pieces (see tip at end). Dice onion into 1/2 inch pieces. Toss squash and onion with olive oil and spread pieces onto a large flat baking pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes - add diced apple - and continue roasting another 10-20 minutes (30-40 total roasting time).
I would rather roast the squash halves next time, and then puree it with sauteed onions, apple and herbs.
2 Tip: while you are roasting, make some "cheese toasts". Put some shredded cheese on top of bread rounds (we like gruyere or parmesan). Bake 10-15 minutes until crispy. These cheese toasts are fantastic soup toppers! I made Gougères.
3 Place roasted mixture into blender with about half the chicken broth; puree (keep hand on lid because hot liquids can cause the top to "explode" off with built up steam). Add remaining chicken broth, half-and-half, and herbs; puree.
4 Transfer mixture to saucepan; reheat gently.
5 Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a dash of paprika.
Tip: to prepare squash, first cut squash in half horizontally. Place flat end onto cutting board to stabilize squash and use a peeler to remove skin. Remove seeds. Then cut into lengths, and then into diced pieces.
Note: if you have leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving, add about 1/2 cup, which will thicken the soup and add a nice smoothness.
My notes: Other recipes used carrots, bay leaf and sage too. Worth trying next time instead of parsley.

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Gougères

Due to my love of cheese, I wanted to try an easy cheese puff recipe. I've seen choux pastry being made everywhere - Julia Child talks about it, its an important know-how on Masterchef, youtube, cooking channel, you name it. And to think I haven't tried it even once, was a shame. So I tried these gougères on Christmas eve. This was also an accompaniment to the butternut squash soup which was the second course of our Christmas dinner.

The cheese used to make Gougères vary. I used Gruyère, but some like to use sharp or mild cheddar. You can use a mix of Gruyère and one-third part Parmesan or Pecorino Romano. David Lebowitz suggests using Mimolette but I haven't noticed this at my local grocery, but i'll look for it next time.

Credit: David Lebowitz

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (125ml) water
3 tablespoons (40g) butter, salted or unsalted, cut into cubes
1/4 teaspoon salt
big pinch of chile powder, or a few turns of freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 cup (70g) flour
2 large eggs
12 chives, finely-minced (or 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme)
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces, 90g) grated cheese - I used Gruyère

Method:

About thirty bite-sized puffs

Two things to keep in mind when making these. One is that you should have all the ingredients ready to go before you start. Don’t let the water and butter boil away while you grate the cheese. Otherwise you’ll lose too much of the water.

Second is to let the batter cool for a few minutes before adding the eggs so you don’t ‘cook’ them. Make sure when you stir in the eggs that you do it vigorously, and without stopping. This is where my hand mixer with the silicone whisk comes in handy.

If you don’t have a pastry bag with a plain tip, you can put the dough into a freezer bag, snip off a corner, and use that. Or simply use two spoons to portion and drop the dough onto the baking sheet. Or use an ice cream scoop. This recipe can easily be doubled.

1. Preheat the oven to 425F (220C.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

2. Heat the water, butter, salt, and chile or pepper in a saucepan until the butter is melted.

3. Dump in the flour all at once and stir vigorously until the mixture pulls away from the sides into a smooth ball. Remove from heat and let rest two minutes.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring quickly to make sure the eggs don’t ‘cook.’ The batter will first appear lumpy, but after a minute or so, it will smooth out. I used a hand mixer with the whisk attachment.

5. Add about 3/4s of the grated cheese and the chives, and stir until well-mixed.

6. Scrape the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a wide plain tip and pipe the dough into mounds, evenly-spaced apart, making each about the size of a small cherry tomato.

7. Top each puff with a bit of the remaining cheese, the pop the baking sheet in the oven.

8. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375F (190C) and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re completely golden brown.

For extra-crispy puffs, five minutes before they’re done, poke the side of each puff with a sharp knife to release the steam, and return to the oven to finish baking.

Serving: The puffs are best served warm, and if making them in advance, you can simply pipe the gougères on baking sheets and cook right before your guests arrive, or reheat the baked cheese puffs in a low oven for 5-10 minutes before serving. Some folks like to fill them, or split them and sandwich a slice or dry-aged ham in there, although I prefer them just as they are.

A bit of troubleshooting: The most common problem folks have with pâte à choux, or cream puff dough, is delated puffs. The usual causes are too much liquid (eggs), or underbaking. Make sure to use large eggs, not extra-large or jumbo, and use a dry, aged cheese, if possible. And bake the puffs until they’re completely browned up the sides so they don’t sink when cooling.

Notes: These smell very eggy, but that's how choux pastry smells like. Same reason why I'm not fond of eclairs. I'll need to find another cheese puff recipe that doesn't require eggs next time.

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Baked Brie - Brie en Croute

Baked Brie!! This is a pleasant new discovery for me last month. Anyone who knows me, will know that I love cheese, and trying various cheeses. During my business trip to France in 2010, I was in heaven when my manager took me to a famouse cheese restaurant in Strasbourg called La Cloche à Fromage. Anyone visiting Strasbourg, I highly recommend this place - you will need an advance reservation and I hear its a little difficult to get in, but totally worth it! It has a huge cloche (a bell shaped cover) that is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest in the world. We were a table of four, and had the cheese fondue with a variety of breads. And also a cheese board, where you work your way up, so there is a particular order in which you have to try each cheese. It was an amazing experience that I'll never forget. Other tables were having the raclette, that I saw for the first time. But that's a LOT of cheese and I think its good if you are a large party.

At La Cloche à Fromage in 2010

Now I'm not really a big fan of cheeses that taste strong and musky, gives that sharp tart or bitter kick in the throat. It's hard to explain, but I've felt this with Camembert and Goat cheese. Particularly, the outer rind of Camembert. Or that fungal fumy feeling you get up your nose, like with blue cheese. I don't mind trying it during a cheese tasting, but I don't love it.
Now Brie is a like a milder cousin of Camembert. They're both soft white cheese. Initially I mistook Brie for Camembert and always avoided it. Then at a team dinner with my colleagues, the baked brie was ordered as an appetizer. It looked really pretty, covered in puff pastry and was accompanied by toast and a fruit compote. When it went around the table, I decided to take a small chunk of it. It completely changed my opinion about brie! It was warm, gooey and creamy in contrast with the crumbly flakiness of the puff pastry, just divine! After I came back from the dinner, I could only gush about the baked brie to my husband! I had to get some at my next trip to the grocery store. There were many imported ones, but I opted for a medium size round one by the Président brand. Next to it there was this pretty little bottle of fig and orange jam, from Croatia. This is one of the best jams I've tasted in my life! Not too sweet, and goes really well with toast.
The first time I baked brie, I only used the brie in the puff pastry, just like how I tasted it at the dinner. This was the appetizer for our Christmas dinner.
I tried it again this month, by also adding some fig jam in the puff pastry. I like both versions, depending on my mood - plain cheesy, or hint of sweetness.
The term "en croute" indicates a food that has been wrapped in pastry dough and then baked in the oven.

Here is a good video that I used to make my first one (he used the same brands as I had):

Here's another great video with some interesting variations:

Ingredients:

Président 8 oz Brie round
Puff Pastry - 1 sheet (I used Pepperidge Farm)
Egg wash - 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp water (optional)
Fig Jam (or jam of your choice) - 2 tbsp

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Thaw the sheet of puff pastry. Lay it flat on your work surface.
Use the cover or the Brie wheel to lightly make an indentation in the center of your puff pastry sheet, to use as a guide as to where you're going to place the Brie.
In this circle, spread the jam of your choice, if using. If you want it on the sides as well, you can extend it a little outside the circle.
Unwrap the Brie. Place it over the jam in the circle. Now wrap the pastry over the brie, like a small package. Flip it and place it on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
If you want the top to shine, you can brush lightly with an egg wash. Some people like to use some extra puff pastry, cut a design with a cookie cutter and place it on top for a pretty design (using egg wash as adhesive), like in the second video.
Place the wrapped Brie in the oven and bake for 20-25 mins in my oven to get a golden crust and a pastry that's cooked through.
This is an important step. Once the brie is out of the oven, leave it out to rest for half an hour. If it hasn't cooled before you cut into it, the Brie is going to ooze out everywhere and create a huge mess and you can potentially burn yourself.

Damage control tip: If for any reason, the puff pastry wasn't sealed properly or if there was a hole somewhere due to improper handling, and you notice that the cheese is oozing out, plug it immediately with a small piece of bread.

Note: If you're trying cheeses for the first time, I think Brie is a good way to start. Then you can work your way up from there. When you're ready you can go for something more stronger, try the Camembert. I think I'll try Camembert again. So far I've had it just on its own, and it was cold. A warm "en croute" may change my opinion about it. After that, try the goat cheese, and then a blue cheese, or an expensive one like Roquefort.
There is also a Light Brie available. I'll try it sometime. I'm guessing it's even milder than Brie, or maybe uses low fat milk.
Here is a good link on how to taste cheese

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Bread Upma

I haven't even heard of bread upma until the day I made it. My hubby suddenly had a craving for it, and told me about this dish that used to be very popular in Tamil Nadu during his childhood. Before chaats from north India became popular and invaded the snack scene in south India, these were a regular item in most tea shops. Nowadays, you can never find this in a restaurant menu. So he asked me to look it up and make it for him. I went through a few bread upma recipes online and mostly followed Preethi's.

Ingredients:

Bread - 6 to 8 slices
Ghee - as required
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Green chilli - 1, chopped
Ginger - 1/2 inch, minced (optional)
Tomato - 2, chopped
Vegetables of choice - like crumbled potato, green peas, carrots, beans, chana (garbanzo), chopped and cooked. You can also add cooked ground meat.
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
Chana Dal - 1/2 tsp
Cashewnuts - handful, broken
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Tomato puree or water - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves - minced (or coriander chutney) - to taste
Lemon juice - to garnish

Method:

Toast bread pieces on a skillet with ghee. (You can skip toasting the bread, but I felt this step made the dish really tasty!) Cube them into bite size pieces. In a wok, heat ghee and splutter mustard seeds. Add chana dal, urad dal and cashewnuts. Stir well so that they fry evenly. When they brown, add onions, ginger and green chilli. Fry till onions turn translucent with salt. Then add tomatoes and fry till they mush up. Then add cooked vegetables and combine. Add turmeric powder, asafoetida, red chilli powder and garam masala. Sprinkle some water or add tomato puree and cook for a few minutes. Finally add the cubed bread pieces and combine well. Garnish with cilantro chutney and squeeze a bit of lemon juice. Serve hot.

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Sesame Ginger Chicken & Chinese pantry list

I've been wanting to make Chinese food at home, just like the ones I had in Chinese restaurants as a child in Saudi Arabia. My first attempt was a Szechuan chicken recipe, because the hubby and I like spicy food. After hunting down the main ingredient for the heat - sichuan peppercorns, aka prickly ash from a chinese grocery store, I was all excited about trying this recipe from another blog, which I shall not name. It called for 2 tablespoons of the peppercorns. After toiling in the kitchen for a few hours, we finally sit down to eat. First bite, we felt it was way too sour. And then the sensation, started to come in. This is not heat that we're familiar with, such as in hot chillies. This was a very wierd feeling that we've never felt before. It has a very numbing effect, a very prickly tingling sensation - I can't really describe it. But we just couldn't take another bite. The whole thing went straight into the trash - this is very rare in my house! The first time since I've moved to the US. For a while I did not have the confidence to try cooking Chinese again, because it felt too foreign to me. Now I'm stuck with a huge bag of those sichuan peppercorns, and have no idea what to do with it. I don't have the heart to throw it out, but I guess I will eventually.
Few months later, I was watching the cooking channel on a weekend, and decided to try another Chinese chicken dish, but doesn't call for peppercorns. It's called the sesame ginger chicken, and this one turned out to be amazing! I stocked up on the essential ingredients for Chinese food.

Here is a list of must-have ingredients in your pantry if you want to get started on Chinese food:

1. Low sodium soy sauce: I used to buy regular soy sauce before, but I feel the low sodium ones are better in making chinese stir-frys. The regular one is much more salty and strong - maybe good to use a few drops in soups.
2. Toasted sesame oil: When I used to make fried rice or noodles, I used regular sesame oil that you would get in Indian grocery stores. Turns out "toasted" sesame oil, makes all the difference, and give the food that unique "Chinese restaurant" aroma. I bought a bottle that had hot peppers infused in it. I used the exact amount in this recipe and it wasn't hot at all, at least not by Indian standards - not even a small tingling sensation on the tongue for me.
3. Rice wine: I bought a cooking rice wine from the asian aisle in my local supermarket.
4. Rice vinegar: Many recipes call for rice vinegar, including many stir-frys. Do not confuse it with rice wine (at least I tend to).
5. Hoisin sauce: This is a sweet Chinese barbecue sauce. Again, tastes amazing in a lot of recipes, including noodles.
6. Sweet chili sauce: This is a great dip on its own with spring rolls, but it also adds a nice sweetness to many Chinese dishes.
7. 5 spice powder:  This would be like the Chinese "Garam masala", and like garam masala - the spices can vary in each household. The one I got contains cinnamon, star anise, fennel, ginger, cloves, white pepper and licorice root. So it's definitely more than 5 spices, but that's the name they give it. Other versions can also contain Sichuan peppercorns, but thankfully mine doesn't.
8. Oyster sauce: This is made from real oysters, and it gives a very pungent smell. Another sauce similar to this is Fish sauce. Many people use it directly in soups, or in dipping sauces. I'm still not that bold, and would rather use it within the cooking process, because the smell is too strong for me. Whenever I see oyster or fish sauce, I always recall the first time my sister opened up my bottle of fish sauce and took a whiff of it. Her face contorted and she wailed "Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!" and placed the bottle as far away as possible from her. I will never forget what she said next: "Why would you use such a stinky ingredient in your food? This smells like somebody's underwear used for 5 days and then left to rot!". My eyes are rolling with tears and I still can't stop laughing as I type this. Maybe after you read this, you won't feel like buying this, but if you use the same amount as the recipe asks for, it will taste good, I swear. Also, I think oyster sauce is a lot less pungent than fish sauce (which uses fermented fish).
9. Sambal Oelek: This is a ground chili paste (different varieties of chillies). In the US, you will only find that of the brand Huyfong (it has the rooster symbol on it). The same brand also makes a chili-garlic paste. I sometimes use that too. I guess you can use any red chili paste you can find in your local store.
10. White pepper: This is more milder than black pepper. If you can't find it, you can substitute with regular black pepper.

Now onto the recipe.
Credit: Kelsey's Sesame Ginger Chicken
Click here to watch the video of the same recipe.

Ingredients:

CHICKEN MARINADE:
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (i used chili flavored)
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

STIR-FRY:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 green bell pepper, cut into small pieces (optional)
4 tablespoons Chinese Shoaxing rice wine
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sambal chili sauce
1 tablespoon Thai chili sauce
1 lemon, zest and juice
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Scallions (spring onions), thinly sliced on an angle, for garnish
Fried Rice, for serving (or steamed rice)

Method:

For the chicken marinade: In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken with the sesame oil, sugar, soy sauce and pepper. Toss to coat, cover, place in the refrigerator and let sit 1 hour.

For the stir-fry: Remove the chicken from the fridge. Add 1 cup cornstarch to a shallow baking dish and dredge each piece of chicken, shaking off any excess.

Fill a Dutch oven or wok with enough oil to completely submerge the chicken pieces. Heat over high heat until glossy and the temperature reaches 375 degrees F. Deep fry the chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes, adding your chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding and to keep your oil from dropping in temp too much. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until golden brown and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add bell pepper (capsicum) if desired and saute for a two minutes. Next, add the rice wine, hoisin, oyster sauce, soy sauce, honey and the chili sauces; bring to a simmer.

In a glass measuring cup, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 3/4 cup very cold water (make sure you water is cold to avoid lumps!), whisking until combined. Add the mixture to the sauce and simmer for an additional minute, until the sauce thickens. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Add in the fried chicken and toss to coat with the sauce. Add the lemon zest and juice. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and scallions.

Tips:
1. Toasting sesame seeds:
Heat a small pan on low-medium heat. Put around 2 tbsp of white sesame seeds and constantly toss so that the toasting happens evenly. Stop when it turns golden brown and transfer to a cool plate.

2. Original recipe called for only 1/4 cup of water to add with cornstarch to the sauce. That will make the sauce too thick to just coat the chicken pieces, and it will be very dry (good as an appetizer). I needed some more gravy (side with fried rice), so I added about a cup of water. You can adjust as per your liking.

3. I had half a bell pepper in my fridge, so I tossed it into the chicken. This is often used in most Chinese stir frys. Original recipe does not call for it.

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Seekh Kabab

Seekh kababs are my favorite variety of kababs. Grilled on skewers also known as seekh, until juicy and succulent, they're just mouth watering.
The seekh is a round metal skewer, however I used bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water (to prevent them from burning when grilling).
You can use any kind of ground meat for this - beef, lamb or chicken. But it should not be too lean, or it will become too dry. So make sure it has some amount of fat in it. They will melt into juices when its cooking, and the excess will drip down.
This weekend, our neighbor took us to a meat packing company at Sussex, NJ. I bought a pound of ground sirloin (beef). It looked so beautiful, that I decided to try out seekh kababs for the first time.
Since I don't have an outdoor grill yet, I broiled it in the oven. They need to be cooked at the highest temperatures possible. Traditionally, seekh kebabs are grilled in a tandoor (clay oven), that has temperatures as high as 800°F. As ovens cannot be this hot, crank it up to the highest possible.
Another thing to note is that the final mixture should not be too moist, or it will not hold onto the skewers. So make sure you absorb most of the moisture from the ground meat in some kitchen towels.
This recipe was inspired by vahchef.

Ingredients:

Ground beef - 1 lb (500 gm)
Red onion - 1/2 medium
Garlic - 4 cloves
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Green chilli - 1 or 2
Grated cheese - a handful (optional)
Parsley or Cilantro - small bunch, about 10 sprigs
Mint leaves - a handful
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp or to taste
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Egg - 1
Lemon juice - from half a lemon
Salt to taste
Bread crumbs - optional (see note)
Bamboo skewers, soaked in water - 10

Method:

Preheat oven to the highest temperature or on broil.
Chop onion, garlic ginger and green chilli finely. Or run it through a food processor. Collect it in a mixing bowl. Add grated cheese, finely chopped parsley or cilantro (or use small amounts of both), finely chopped mint leaves, red chilli powder, garam masla and coriander powder and mix it. Add ground meat and thoroughly mix everything together by hand. This is so therapeutic, trust me! Sprinkle enough salt, squeeze lemon juice, and break an egg into this mixture. Continue kneading this mixture.
Note: If you feel that the mixture is too moist, add bread crumbs or chickpea flour (besan) to this. It will help making the mixture more dry.
Let the mixture marinate for about 15 mins. If you want, you can prepare this in advance and allow it to marinate overnight.
Take a lemon sized ball of the mixture.

Push it through a skewer.

Using your fingers, work it along the length of the skewer to form a long kebab.

Place these skewers across a rectangular cake pan, or on a baking sheet.

Place it on the top rack of the oven, and cook until done, around 12-15 mins. You can also grill these beauties on an outdoor grill.
Serve with lime wedges and coriander-mint chutney mixed with yoghurt.

Or serve over a bed of cumin rice.

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Samosa Chaat

My previous post was about Punjabi Samosas. In this one, I'm using the same samosas to make a flavorful Indian snack called Samosa Chaat.

Serving Size: For one plate

Ingredients:

For samosa chaat:
Samosas - 1 or 2
Chana masala - 2 tbsp (recipe below)
Green chutney - 1 tbsp (use coriander chutney/mint chutney/ Coriander-mint chutney)
Date and Tamarind chutney (Sweet chutney)- 1 tbsp
Plain yoghurt - 2 tbsp, whisked with a pinch of salt
Red Onion - chopped, 1 tbsp
Tomato - chopped, 1 tbsp
Cilantro - chopped, a pinch
Chaat masala - a pinch
Black salt - a pinch (optional)
Red chilli powder - a pinch
Fine sev - 1 tbsp

For chana masala:
White chickpeas/garbanzo beans - 1 cup, soaked overnight
Oil - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Red onion - 1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
Garlic clove - 1
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Green chilli - 1 or 2
Tomato - 1, chopped or Tomato paste - 1/4 cup
Amchur (dry mango powder) / Anardana powder (dry pomegranate seeds) - a pinch
Chole masala or garam masala - 1 tsp
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Method:

Chana Masala:
This recipe is different from the one I posted earlier. So you could use that one minus the coconut milk, or this one.
Boil the soaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker for about 6 whistles. Drain and keep aside.
Grind garlic, ginger, green chilli and half of the chopped onions into a paste.
Heat oil in a deep pot. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, red chilli powder, turmeric and temper for 10 seconds. Add the rest of the chopped onions and sauté till it becomes translucent. Then add the ground paste and fry for another 4-5 minutes. Add tomato paste or chopped tomatoes. Sauté till tomatoes are mashed or sauce is boiling. Add cooked chickpeas, amchur/anardana powder, chole masala/garam masala and salt to taste. Add 1/2 a cup of water, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Samosa Chaat:
Place samosas on a plate and break them a little.

Pour a ladle of the chana masala over it.

Add chopped onions and tomatoes over it. Drizzle yoghurt over it. Drizzle a bit of green chutney and sweet chutney (date and tamarind chutney). Sprinkle a pinch of chaat masala and a pinch of red chilli powder. Also sprinkle black salt, if using.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and fine sev. Yum!

Inspired from Chakali.

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Punjabi Samosa

Ingredients:

For stuffing:
Potatoes - 6, medium
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 3-4 (increase or decrease according to your spice level)
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Crushed black peppercorn - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Amchur (dry mango) powder or Anardana (dried pomegranate seeds) powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Crushed dry roasted coriander seeds - 1 tbsp (optional)

For samosa cover:
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Wheat flour (Aata) - 1 cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Carom seeds (Ajwain) - 1 tsp
Oil - 4-5 tbsp
Water - about 1/4 cup

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Dough for the samosa wrappers:
In a mixing bowl, mix 1 cup all purpose flour and 1 cup wheat flour together. You can also use 2 cups of all purpose flour and leave out wheat flour. Add salt, carom seeds and  oil. Mix well with your hands, it will become crumbly. Add a little water and knead it to a firm dough. Cover and leave for 15-20 mins.


Make the filling:
Wash and peel potatoes. Pressure cook with salt and enough water to cover the potatoes, for about 4 whistles. Or you can boil them on an open stockpot till its cooked.
Drain and mash roughly. You need to have some chunks in there too.
Grind green chillies and ginger into a paste.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds, asofoetida, red chilli powder and fennel seeds. Allow it to temper for 10 seconds and add the green chilli - ginger paste. Sauté for few seconds and add green peas, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Now add the mashed potatoes and mix. Add garam masala, amchur/anardana, black pepper. Taste and adjust salt. Mix well and take off heat. Let it cool down completely.

Make the samosas:
Roll the dough into lemon sized balls. Now roll it out with a rolling pin into an circular or elliptical shape. Cut it in half with a knife. Fold the cut edge in half and stick them together. You can dab some water for help in sticking. It should form a nice cone shape. Fill this cone with the stuffing in keep it compact. Then pinch and fold a portion of the outer edge. Then pinch from two sides and close together in the middle. Pull the edge up a little. You can refer Sanjeev Kapoor's video recipe below to understand this technique. From 8:08 onwards.

Heat oil in a deep wok or frying pan to a medium heat. Deep fry the samosas till they turn an nice golden brown color.

Serve with date and tamarind chutney and/or coriander-mint chutney. If you don't have these chutneys, you can use ketchup as well.
Or you can use these to make an amazing Samosa Chaat.
Enjoy! :)

Notes: You can store these samosas in the refrigerator for a couple of days, and fry them whenever you're ready to eat.
Oil can be any vegetable oil like canola oil or even olive oil for a healthier option.
You can even bake these samosas instead of deep frying for a healthier snack. Just pre-heat the oven to 400°F, and bake the samosas on a baking sheet for 15-20 mins until they're golden brown.

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Chicken Puff Pastry

I have a weakness for puff pastries, the thin flaky layers with something spicy hidden inside is just too good to resist on a rainy day.
The filling I used for this, is a Middle Eastern version, but you could try any type. Also I used store bought puff pastry sheets. Still not cheffy enough to make my own pastry sheets. (nor do I have the time!)

Ingredients:

2 sheets puff pastry
1 lb ground chicken/lamb/beef
1 onion chopped finely
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
1 tomato chopped finely
1/2 bunch parsley chopped finely
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
a pinch of sumac (optional)
Salt to taste

4 tbsp corn/canola oil

Method:

Heat oil and fry pine nuts till golder brown. Keep aside on a plate.
In same oil, fry onions on medium heat. Fry for 10 mins mixing constantly till it turns pink. Add garlic and fry for 3 mins. Add minced chicken and fry till cooked. Add all powders - black pepper, salt, garam masala, cumin powder, red chilli powder, sumac (if using).
Mix in parsley and squeeze a small wedge of lemon. Fry on high for a few mins.
Grease a baking pan with butteer/oil. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Fill in puff pastry sheets, seal the edges. Brush the top with an egg wash (egg white). Can brush a little butter on top (optional).
Bake in oven for 15 mins till the puff pastry turns golden brown. flip the pastries over and cook for another 15 mins.

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Spicy Corn Fritters

Its become sort of a routine to start the weekend with a "bread n eggs" brunch. We've been making omelettes for a while and decided to go for scrambled eggs for a change. I decided to make use of the sweet corn kernels lying in my freezer as an accompaniment. I did a quick search and found these simple spicy corn fritters.
Its actually meant to be eaten as a snack with a dip. I did not bother using any dip since it was just an accompaniment to the bread n eggs.

Credit: Simplyrecipes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon lebanese spice or garam masala
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1 cup of corn kernels (frozen corn, defrost and drain first)
1 small onion finely sliced or chopped small (about a quarter cup)
3 green chillies sliced finely
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
canola, or gingelly oil (a high smoke point oil) for frying

Method:

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, ground coriander, and ground cumin, spice, red chilli powder in a medium bowl. Add egg, lemon juice and water. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the corn, onions, green chillies and cilantro. Stir until just combined.
Heat a large frying pan on medium high heat. Add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan. When oil is hot (shimmering not smoking), spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons worth of fritter batter into the pan to form one fritter, patting it down with the back of the spoon as soon as it is in the pan. Work in batches. Leave about 1/2 inch between the fritters in the pan. Let cook about 2-3 minutes on each side, flipping the fritters when they are nicely browned on one side. When browned on the other side, remove the fritters to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess fat.

Add oil as needed to keep the bottom of the pan well coated. Note that the fritters will likely splatter a bit as you are cooking. So, either use a screen splatter guard, or wear long sleeved clothes while you cook.

Serve with a dip

Or use as an accompaniment with bread, eggs and sausages.

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Falafel Sandwich

Saudi Arabian Falafel Sandwich

A lot of different ingredients go into Falafel sandwiches.
But I try to keep it as close to the ones I've had in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in the popular shawarma shops such as Yamal Asham, Mama Nourra and Maccoys.

Ingredients:

Khubz (Arabic Bread/Pita)
Falafels
Garlic Sauce or Garlic Tahini Sauce
French Fries
Lebanese pickled cucumber/carrot/radish
Chopped tomato
Parsley

Method:

Spread Garlic Sauce or Garlic Tahini Sauce on the Khubz.
Sprinkle parsley, chopped pickled veggies and tomatoes.
Place falafels. I crumbled mine as it was easier to roll into a sandwich but usually they are placed whole.
Add french fries. I made my own french fries by peeling potatoes and chopping them in my food processor with the french fries blade, fried and sprinkled salt.
Wrap and serve.

You can also add iceberg lettuce in them.

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Falafel

On some days I miss the food I grew up with in the middle east. Falafels are one of them.
The first time I tried making these, it was a total disaster. I was inexperienced and decided to cook the chickpeas first before making the ground mixture and frying them. The result: As soon as the falafel hits oil, it just kept disentegrating into the oil and whatever is left is not cooked. God what a nightmare. Almost a year later, I tried this again by referring another blog. It was successful, but a bit dry. But definitely tasty. The vegetable and sauces I used to wrap them in my own grilled Khubz helped to cut down the dryness. I've been finding it impossible to find flat leaf parsley in Bangalore so on my trip back from Riyadh, I got a bunch of parsley which costs less than a Saudi Riyal! Its magical flavour is what gives falafels and many other middle eastern foods a unique taste.
Credit: Homemade-recipes blog

Ingredients:

For Falafels:
500 gms dried chick peas (kabuli chana)
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh coriander, chopped (cilantro)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon ground red chili pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons plain flour or gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon ground dried coriander
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3 teaspoons baking powder

Note: When I made the mix using the above ingredients, I did find that it was still a bit difficult to make firm balls, so I added about 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs into the mix. Also I did not use paprika, used extra red chilli powder instead. I did not use the bicarbonate of soda because I did not have it with me. Will use next time to see if it has a difference. I also used only 2 tsp of baking powder. Maybe it will be more airy and lighter (less dense).

For Deep Frying
Vegetable oil

Method:

• Soak chickpeas in water for 24 hours, then drain well.
• Mix together the chick peas, chopped parsley, coriander/cilantro, crushed garlic and chopped onions 
• Grind in a food processor.
• Add all remaining falafel ingredients and process again.
• Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• Knead the falafel mix.
• Form spoonfuls of the falafel mixture into balls and flatten slightly. Flattening ensures the insides are cooked.

• Heat oil in deep pan over high heat, then fry till browned and cooked through.

 

Serve with Garlic Sauce or Garlic Tahini Sauce or Hummus.



Or make a Falafel Sandwich



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Chicken Shawarma

Chicken Shawarma is the most loved and craved for snack that we get in Saudi Arabia. Brands like Yamal Asham and Mama Nourra have become so famous, they've become large chains. Maccoys for some reason seems to operate from the same old shop, though still so popular. The shawarmas that you get in Riyadh are the Lebanese style. When I went to Riyadh this time, I got a bottle of shawarma spice.

Its just a spice mix and its contents are as follows:

• Turmeric
• Red Chilly
• Coriander
• Black Pepper
• Cloves
• Cardamom
• Nutmeg
• Ginger
• Cumin
• Cinnamon

 Credit: Lebanese Recipes

Ingredients:

For Chicken Shawarma:

• 1/2 kilo chicken thighs or breasts, skin removed, bones removed and pounded to even thickness
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Shawarma spice
• 1 tablespoon allspice toasted and ground
• 1 tablespoon coriander seed toasted and ground
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped summer savory - I did not use this
• 1 onion, grated
• Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For Assembly:

• 6 thick pitas or Khubz
• 1 large tomato, thinly sliced
• 6 leaves Boston lettuce/Iceberg Lettuce
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley (optional)
• Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Cucumber and Carrot Pickle
• French Fries
• Garlic Sauce (Thoom) / Garlic Tahini Sauce / Hummous

Method:

Chicken:
Combine the lime juice, olive oil, spices, garlic, summer savory and grated onion in a medium bowl.
Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat.
Cover with plastic and marinate in the refrigerator for four hours.
Preheat the barbecue on medium.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess.
Skewer the thighs on a long metal skewer, stacking them flat on top of each other.
Season the chicken thighs and put them on the grill.
Cover and cook the chicken, turning the skewer every few minutes for even cooking, 25 to 30 minutes or until charred on the outside and chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Note: I did not use any skewers. I just heated a frying pan and placed the chicken pieces on it to grill on each side. You may drizzle a little olive oil over it to avoid it from sticking to the pan.

Assembly:
Spread garlic sauce or hummous on pita/khubz.
Slice chicken off the skewer in thin shavings and serve it wrapped in pita bread along with the tomato slices, lettuce, french fries and pickles. You can also add chopped parsley to it.

Note: I used home-made french fries as they felt more authentic. Just peeled a potato and ran it through the french fries blade of my food processor, and deep fried them. Drain on tissue towels. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over it.

The Authentic Saudi shawarma contains:

• Khubz
• Chicken
• Cucumber pickle
• Garlic Thoom
• French Fries

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Chicken pie Sambousek (Chicken Samosas)

I just came back from probably my last visit to the country where I was brought up, Saudi Arabia. I will surely miss that country for the abundant ingredients and the mind boggling varieties available in the numerous hypermarkets. One would simply get spoilt for choice. And the vegetables, I dont know how they keep it so clean and beautiful. The best hypermarket in Bangalore is put to shame!
So I bought these Switz Sambosa leaves which my mom used to make samosas with when we were little. They're lovely for making samosas and I dont know why its so darn hard to find such things here in India! Rarely do I see the spring roll pastry available in their deep freezer.
Being brought up in Saudi Arabia, I loved the ramadan season for the iftaar parties. Being non-muslim I never fasted, but we used to get invited to various muslim families' houses for iftaar. A common item on the menu would be meat samosas or sambousek as Arabs would call it.
I made these simple chicken samosa last year for Eid and tonight again as a snack.
I bought chicken breasts (skinless and fatless) from the supermarket and minced them in my food processor. Much better and leaner than the minced chicken they have in the stores. You can use and ground mince (chicken, beef or mutton) for these. There's also another lovely vegetarian variety called the spinach and feta sambousek which I will post some other day.

Ingredients:

Sambosa leaves
Vegetable oil for frying

For filling:
Chicken mince - 250 grams
Onions minced - 1 large
Black Pepper - 2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Lebanese seasoning - 1 tsp (optional)
Shawarma seasoning - 1 tsp (optional)
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Frozen green peas - 2 tbsp (optional)
Salt to taste
Olive oil - 1 tbsp (you can use any oil of your choice)

For paste:
All purpose flour (maida) - 1 tbsp
Corn flour 1 tsp
Water - 2 tbsp

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add onions, black pepper and cumin powder. When onions turn translucent, add lebanese seasoning, shawarma seasoning and minced chicken. Stir and cook till the chicken changes colour completely and starts to brown. Add frozen green peas if using and toss for another 2-3 minutes.
Allow to cool.

Assembly:
Mix all ingredients to make the paste and keep aside. This will be used to glue the edges of the samosas.
Take out a sambosa leaf. Prepare samosas easily using this video posted below.
Place 1 tablespoon of meat filling and seal.




Deep fry until golden brown turning once - about 6-8 minutes.
Drain on paper towel and serve with any sauce you like.

By the way... I have completed a year since I started this blog. Yayy! Its been quite an eventful year for me and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Hope better things are yet to come. :-)

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Chemmeen Vada - Minced Shrimp Fritters

Credit: Mishmash

Ingredients:

250 gms small shrimp peeled, deveined and washed thoroughly.
4-5 small red pearl onions/shallots
3/4 tbsp finely chopped ginger
7-9 fresh green chillies
A small sprig of curry leaves coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

Using a small jar of the food processor or blender, make a coarse paste of the small onions, green chillies, ginger and curry leaves. To this, add the cleaned shrimp and run the processor till everything combines well, forming a coarse paste and add turmeric powder and salt to taste. Do not make them too smooth as you do for chutney and other condiments.
Make around 10-12 small balls with this mixture and flatten them into a round shape. For flattening, keep the ball of mixture onto your left palm and press it with your right palm. You can do this either on a plastic wrap sheet or a plantain leaf as well, whichever is convenient.
Heat oil in a small saucepan, deep fry each of them, in low-medium heat, until it is cooked or reaches brown colour. Serve warm with a hot cup of tea/chai.

My note: I only got 6 vadas out of shrimps from a 250g packet. It was good anyway. Tasted like a vada, but not that much of a prawn taste. I felt you could fool a vegetarian with it!

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