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.

Read More

Egg salad sandwich

This is a quick breakfast recipe. Would take roughly half an hour from start to finish.

Serves: 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:

Whole wheat bread - 4 slices
Eggs -  2
Green onions (spring onions) - 1 stalk, sliced finely. (can substitute with chives, dill or herbs of your choice)
Mayonnaise - 1 tbsp (or Greek yoghurt, I used half of each)
Dijon mustard - 1 tsp
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:

Immerse the eggs in water and bring it to a boil. Take it off the stove and let sit in the hot water for 8-10 mins. Drain and peel off the shells. Chop the eggs into small chunks.
Add the sliced green onions, mayonnaise, yoghurt, dijon mustard, salt & pepper. Mix it all well. Now you have an egg salad.

Toast the whole wheat bread slices. Spread the egg salad on a slice and close with the other.

Optional add-ons: Fried shallots, bacon bits, crumbled feta, celery, dash of paprika, curry powder, lemon juice, chopped red onions, chopped apples, toasted pecans. The sky is your limit.
I also like to have it as a salad instead of a sandwich, because sometimes I feel the bread makes it too dry.
If you have lettuce leaves you can add a layer of lettuce to your sandwich as well. If you like tomato slices, go ahead! Enjoy!

Read More

Egg and Vegetable Stew (with variations for chicken, beef or lamb)

This stew is a traditional Syrian Christian curry served for breakfast with Appam (lacy rice pancakes). I like to have it any time of the day with toasted bread, if there's no ready batter for appams. It's very rustic and hearty, like the filling of a pot pie. (Maybe I will try it in a pot pie someday).

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

Eggs - 4 large
Onion - 1 medium size, chopped
Ginger - 1 inch, minced
Green chillies - 3 or as per your spice level
Chopped Vegetables - 2 cups (preferably potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, french beans, green peas)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon sticks - 1 large broken to small pieces
Cloves - 4-6
Green cardamom pods - 4
Bay leaf - 1
Curry leaves - 1 sprig (optional)
Black pepper corns - 6-8
White pepper powder - 2 tsp (optional)
Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Red chilli powder - a pinch (optional)
Coriander powder - 1 tsp (optional)
Garam masala - a pinch (optional)
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Oil (vegetable/canola) - 2 tbsp (For authenticity, use coconut oil - its an acquired taste)

Method:

Hard boil the eggs and keep aside to cool. Meanwhile chop all the vegetables and store in a mixing bowl.
In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add mustards seeds and let is splutter. Add the whole spices - cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf, peppercorns. Once their aroma starts to exude, add the chopped onions, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute until the onions are translucent. Then add the powdered spices - turmeric, white pepper, black pepper, red chilli powder, coriander powder. Mix for a minute. Then add the chopped vegetables and enough water to just cover the vegetables. Cover and cook until the vegetables are cooked through. Meanwhile peel the cooled eggs and halve them, if desired. Once vegetables are cooked, reduce the heat, and pour coconut milk. Let it cook and reduce until you get the desired consistency of gravy. Finally sprinkle garam masala and add the hardboiled eggs. Serve with appams, chappathis or toasted slices of bread.

Note: You can make different variations of this stew. Leave the eggs out and it becomes a vegetable stew. Add cubed chicken pieces instead of the vegetables and it becomes a chicken stew. For beef or lamb stew, cook the meat separately with a small amount of water or even pressure cook it, before adding it to the stew.
If you don't have coconut milk, use regular milk.

Read More

Egg Fried Rice

This is my favorite recipe for egg fried rice. Usually it contains only rice, egg and soy sauce. But I like it with thinly cut vegetables too. More like a combination of vegetable and egg fried rice.

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup
Eggs - 2
French beans - 10 nos.
Carrot - 1 large
Green Peas - 1/4 cup
Corn kernels - 1/4 cup (optional)
Green onion (spring onion) - 1 stalk
Ginger - 1 inch, minced
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
Soy Sauce - 2 tbsp
Sambal Olek - 1 tbsp (optional)
Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp
Pepper - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Cook rice first. Fried rice works best with refrigerated rice, so if you have rice leftover from your last dinner, you can use that. Basically, the rice needs to be cooled down before frying it. So if you're cooking it now, drain it and let it cool down for a bit (let all the steam come out). Then stick it into the freezer for around 10 or 15 minutes. Meanwhile, chop beans finely, cube carrots finely and chop green onions too (including the white part and keep it separate).
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet or wok. The pan you're going to use needs to be wide so that you can work the stir fry properly, or else it will get sticky. Now add the white part of the green onions first and let it soften by stir-frying for a couple of minutes. Then add minced ginger and garlic, fry for 3 minutes. Then add the green beans and carrots. Stir fry for about 5 minutes. Then add green peas and fry for 5 more minutes. Stir often so that the vegetables don't brown. Move the vegetables to a corner of the pan. Break 2 eggs on the other side. Scramble it by mixing constantly. Then combine with the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper/ Finally add the rice and mix well. Pour in soy sauce and sambal (if using). Garnish with chopped green onions and serve with your favorite Chinese side.

Read More

Love Letters / Madakku Saan

Madakku saan is an authentic snack from kerala. Its a wonderful crunchy crepe thats just not too sweet but feels good in the tummy. They're also given the nickname "Love Letters" coz of the lovely sweet coconut mixture rolled up like a letter or packed in an envelope. :) It would make a cute gift to prepare for loved ones.

Ingredients:

For the crepe:
Flour/Maida - 1 cup
Water - enough to make a loose batter
1 egg
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Salt - a pinch

For the coconut filling:
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Cardamom powdered - 1 or 2 tsp
Sugar - 4 tbsp

Method:

Mix all ingredients of the batter and fry them on a pan (no need of any oil). If it does stick to the pan, then dab a little oil in a gauze or kitchen towel or tissue and just wipe across the pan.
Mix all the coconut filling ingredients in a bowl. Place a tablespoon full of the mixture onto the center of a crepe and roll. Allow the filling to spread towards the ends.

Read More

Tomato Egg Curry

Tomato egg curry recipe is a popular curry recipe from the land of Kerala. Tomato egg curry recipe is a south Indian egg recipe and best served with roti or rice. Tomato curry is prepared with beaten egg. This tomato egg curry recipe is a spicy curry recipe flavored with egg. This tomato egg curry recipe takes on 5 minutes to cook. See how easy and quick are the preparation steps for this south Indian curry recipe i.e. tomato egg curry recipe 

Credit: http://www.merirasoi.com/recipedetail/tomato-egg-curry-recipe.aspx?ci=36

Ingredients:

1.Tomatoes - 3 nos
2.Garlic pods - 3
3.Ginger - 1 small piece
4.Green chillies - 3 nos
5.Onions - 2 nos
6.Eggs - 2 nos, boiled
7.Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
8.Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
9.Garlic powder - ½ tsp (optional)
10.Salt - to taste
11.Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
12.Round red dry chillies - 3 nos
13.Cilantro - ¼ cup, for garnish 

Method:

1.FOR SEASONING, heat a little oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot, add dry red chillies, and mustard seeds and fry for a little time. When mustard seeds starts sputtering, switch off the flame and take these ingredients out of the oil. Keep aside.
2.Heat a little oil in a fry pan on medium flame. When the oil is hot, add onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic and fry for a minute.
3.Add tomatoes and fry for one more minute until the tomatoes are well cooked.
4.Now add Add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and garlic powder (optional) fry.
5.Add little by little water to form a curry.
6.Cut the 2 boiled egg into 4 equal pieces and add into it(raw)while stirring. Stir well.
7.Season it with spluttered mustard seeds, sautéed dry red chillies and curry leaves.
8.Your tomato egg curry recipe is ready. Serve hot with bread or rice.
9.OPTIONAL: You could also boil sausage rings n add into this to make a different curry recipe altogether!

Read More

Fluffy Omelette

I tried this recipe from the Kairali channel's Magic Kitchen show. I like Lekshmi Nair because of her presentation skills and enthusiasm for cooking on this show. She does a good attempt at bringing modern cooking to the typical malayalee. Its amazing how she cooks with so much of jewellery on her lol! Especially those bangles and rings.  And shez got lovely manicured polished long nails. Simply amazing! All the same, shez sweet and chirpy!

Ingredients:

Ingredients (for 1 large omelette):
For the omelette:
Eggs - 4 nos.
Milk - 1/4 cup
Baking Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Butter: 1 1/2 tbsp
Salt

For the filling:
Sausages : 4 long pieces sliced into medium thickness
Onions : 2 medium (I used half a white onion) chopped
Oregano - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Butter - 1 tbsp
Salt
Chilly garlic sauce/Sweet chilli sauce : 1 tbsp
Cheese slices: 2 (or grated mozzarella)

Method:

For the stuffing:
Heat butter in a pan. Add onions to it and saute till it becomes translucent. To this, add sliced sausages. Fry them for about 2-3 minutes. Now add pepper powder, oregano and salt to it and mix well. Add chilli garlic sauce to this mixture and saute for another minute. Keep this filling aside in a bowl.

For the fluffy omelette:
Separate the eggs. Yolks in a bowl and whites in another.  Make sure the bowl into which you are adding the whites is completely dry as even the slightest bit of moisture will not allow the whites to froth when beaten.
Take the bowl containing the yolks, add whisk lightly with a fork. Now add milk to it and mix again. Add baking powder and whisk once again.
Now whisk the egg whites vigorously to form a thick froth (so thick its tough to get it off the bowl when tilted) using an egg beater or with ur hands and a whisk. Add a bit of salt in between. Once beaten fully, heat butter in a pan. Now you need to start acting quickly because once the egg whites will start to lose its froth if you let it stand (Just like how froth of soap will lose its volume in time). While the pan is getting hot, add the egg yolk mixture into the whites and combine gently with a fork.
Now add this mixture onto the pan and even it out with a spatula so that its spread out on the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and let cook on a very low flame for about 10 minutes. In between, open to check the cooking of the insides of the omelette. Make a few slashes on the omelette to allow the insides to cook well. Once omelette is cooked, add the sausage stuffing on one half of the omelette. Now place the cheese slices on top of this stuffing. Once the cheese starts to melt, switch off the flame of the stove. Slide this open face omelette onto the serving plate. Let it rest for a minute. Fold the omelette in half. Cut it into quarters and serve 1 half for each portion. Serve with buttered bread toast. Yum!

Read More

Egg Rice

The credit of this recipe will go solely to my dad, who used to cook this on a hot afternoon in Riyadh after picking me and my sis from school, and when my mom is on duty. When the curries are few or very boring to me and my sis, this rice and some curd was more than enough. Some pickle or left over chicken curry also goes really well with it. Its so easy to make, it can be done in just 1 minute!

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice - as required
Eggs - 1 for each person
Butter - 1 - 1.5 tablespoon - if not very health conscious, add as per your liking.
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder (optional)

Method:

Heat a pan over medium heat and add butter to it. Break eggs into the pan and move it around to form a scramble. Once it just starts to thicken, add the rice and mix. Sprinkle some salt and if required, a pinch of red chilli powder. Mix well and serve. Bon Appetit!

Read More

Cheese Omelette

Credit: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-a-cheese-omelette

Ingredients:

Step 1: You will need:
•2 eggs , beaten
•50 g mixed cheese , grated
•4 tbsp clarified butter
•salt and pepper
•parsley , for garnish
•1 non-stick frying pan
•1 spatula
•1 brush
 Serves: 1
Preparation Time:
10 minutes
Cooking Time:
10 minutes

Method:

Step 2: Prepare the pan
Place a pan over a medium heat. Allow it to slightly warm through and brush the bottom with some of the melted butter.
Step 3: Cook the omelette
Pour the beaten eggs into the pan and gently stir continuously until they begin to set. Angle the pan so that the raw eggs run to the side and cook. Add the cheese into the middle of the omelette, in a line then gently fold it up in three rolls. Take the pan off the heat and slide the omelette onto a serving plate, the open side first.
Step 4: Garnish and serve
Just garnish with and little parsley! And serve it immediately. The melted cheese should ooze from the centre of the omelette when you make the first cut!
My note: Make sure the pan is over lower than medium heat or the underside of the omelette will burn before the top even cooks. Make small gashes in the omelette so that the uncooked egg goes below and cooks. Or u can bring the sides to the center so that the uncooked egg flows to the sides and cooks.
Serve it with some buttered toasts, fried cheese and onion chicken sausages and a tablespoon full of baked beans. :) Its just awesome!

Read More

French Toast

No credits for this one as it is a universal recipe with tons of them floating around. I just make it using my own proportions.

Ingredients:

1. 2 eggs
2. 3 tablespoon sugar, optional
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 1 cup milk
5. 10 to 12 slices bread
6. butter
7. maple syrup or other syrup

Method:

Break eggs into a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate; beat lightly with a fork. Stir in sugar, salt, and milk. Over medium-low heat, heat griddle or skillet coated with a thin layer of butter or margarine. Not really required if using a non-stick pan. 
Place the bread slices, one at a time, into the bowl or plate, letting slices soak up egg mixture for a few seconds, then carefully turn to coat the other side. Soak/coat only as many slices as you will be cooking at one time.
Transfer bread slices to griddle or skillet, heating slowly until bottom is golden brown. Turn and brown the other side. Serve French toast hot with butter and syrup.

Read More

Pancakes

Credit: http://southernfood.about.com/od/pancakesandwaffles/r/bl30320v.htm

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour, stirred or sifted before measuring
2 teaspoons baking powder
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons melted butter

Method

Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1 1/2 cups of milk; add to flour mixture, stirring only until smooth. Blend in melted butter. If the batter seems too thick to pour, add a little more milk. Cook on a hot, greased griddle, using about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbly, a little dry around the edges, and lightly browned on the bottom; turn and brown the other side. Recipe for pancakes serves 4.

My note: Make sure that the batter is consistent like that of dosa batter. Not too runny and not too thick to pour. Also if there are a few lumps in the batter, its alright. I melted the butter by adding some thick butter from the fridge into a stainless steep cup, and holding it above the stove flame with the help of a stainless steel deep frying spoon. Some small improvisations to make melted butter in a kitchen without a microwave oven :)
Also I find its better to pur the liquids into the flour mixture than the other way round because this avoids too much lump formation in the batter. And this is the traditional way of making these pancakes. Enjoy!

Read More

Mutta Roast - South Indian Egg Roast

Credit:  http://www.zonkerala.com/recipes/non-veg-recipes/mutta-roast.htm

Ingredients:

Egg boiled - 2
Big Onion Sliced lengthwise - 3
Ginger chopped fine - 1 tsp
Garlic - 1 tsp
Chilly Powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Green Chilly - 3
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 stem
Oil - as required
Water - as required
Salt - as to taste
 

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add ginger, garlic, green chilly, and big onion. Saute for a while.

Add turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilly powder, pepper powder and saute for some more time.

Add water and salt. Mix well.

Add the boiled eggs and boil until gravy thickens.
Mutta Roast (Egg Roast) is a very tasty preparation which will go with Appam, Chappathi or Porotta. This recipe is taken from an edition of Vanitha Pachakam. This Egg Roast is a recipe from Kalpakavadi Inn, Thottappally near Alappuzha in Kerala.

My note: I come from a place called Cheppad near Alappuzha which is also near Thottappally. So this taste is quite similar to all the mutta roasts I have eaten in my life :)

Read More

Egg Curry

This is one curry I make when I am in no mood to cook but very hungry. Its fast, easy and oh so delicious. I usually have it with brown bread roasted on a pan with a little butter. Sometimes I have it with rice too.

Credit: http://www.vazhayila.com/2009/05/egg-curry.html

view original source ! Vazhayila !: Egg curry http://www.vazhayila.com/2009/05/egg-curry.html#ixzz1AMGqTm00

Ingredients:

Egg (hard boiled) - 3
Onions chopped - 2
Tomato chopped - 1
Ginger and Garlic crushed - 1.5 tsp
Green chili - 3(optional)
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1  tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
OR Crushed Star anise and Cardamom - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Dried Bay Leaves - 1
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 1 tbsp

My Note:

At the time of adding coconut milk in this recipe, I use the thick first pressed milk. So while adding this coconut milk to our recipe, I first take a quarter cup of the milk into a cup and the rest with water to lighten it. I then add this light coconut milk to the frying pan of masala as I have had a few bad experiences while adding thick coconut milk into it. It burnt the milk coz of the heat of the pan and gave the curry an overall bitter taste which was horrible! I did not face this problem when using canned coconut milk in the US. Or you can even add just plain water first to the masala. And then add the coconut milk into this mixture, which can also prevent the milk from burning.

Method:

Heat oil in a pan ,add ginger ,garlic and green chillies, bay leaves and curry leaves and sauté it for a minute
Add chopped onions and sauté till they are translucent and then add chopped tomatoes and sauté it till the oil separate. Add all the powders, salt and stir for a minute.
Mix coconut milk with it and allow it to boil on a medium flame.
Finally add the hard boiled eggs cut lengthwise and simmer for 2- 3 minutes.
Serve with rice or chapati...

Cheers!!!!

Read More