Hi all!
Kitchen-Basics
....simplified cooking in the kitchen for beginners and learners
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Daal Palak ..Dry Version
Hi all!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Garlic Oil..Home Made
Hi!
7-8 thick cloves of garlic
1/2cup EVOO
Method
Crush the garlic in a clean pestle and mortar.
Push the garlic into a bottle and pour the oil too. Close and shake lightly.
Leave it over night and the garlic oil is ready to use the next day. The flavour gets better as the garlic gets completely absorbed in the oil in the days to come .
Store in air tight bottle/ jar only.
Pesto..With Basil
Hi!
Come summer and your body starts asking for cooling and freshness producing food products. For me one such ingredient is the Basil, I’m in love with this herb and I use it profoundly in my cooking.
Topping the list is the Pesto, which is nothing but a quick chutney using the basil leaves. It is a good digestive and the freshness it produces on your palate is amazing. It makes you feel fresh and cool in this heat. I highly recommend this to be kept ready for use in the kitchen as it’s a versatile ingredient.
The pesto can be made in a jiffy if you have the pine-nuts ready for use after peeling, else one could use walnuts too. I use pine-nuts as they are very good for eyesight.
Ingredients
Makes-almost 3/4 cup
2 cups basil leaves. loosely packed
4-5 garlic cloves
1/4 cup/ 50gms pine nuts
2tbsp EVOO
salt to taste
Method
Grind the Pine nuts and garlic together.
Mix the Basil, salt and EVOO. Grind. If required add more EVOO.
Remove in an airtight container. If you want to store it for a few days, spread a layer of EVOO on top.
Variation :-
To make a Classic Italian Pesto, in the above mentioned ingredients add 1/4cup Parmesan cheese and reduce the salt. Grind together.
Tip- The Pesto should always be covered with oil as it oxidises quickly fading the natural green colour, which has happened with mine, while clicking pics.
You can try this
Bi Coloured Italian Sandwich
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Chapati..Indian Bread From South India
Hi!
I’m posting here after a long time. Today I’m posting a simple and yet a little tricky Indian Bread made in South India called Chapati or Chapathi. It resembles the Paratha but is still quite different.
This bread makes use of the excess oil smeared inside and spreads easily and hence is very soft internally. It is rolled out much thinner than the Paratha and uses very little flour while rolling.
It can be served with any curry but it compliments best with the Jhunka.
Chapati
Serves:3
Preparation Time:5mins
Resting Time:15mins
Cooking Time:20-25mins
Makes:8-10
Ingredients
2cups Whole Wheat Flour for dough
1/2cup wheat flour for rolling
1/4tsp salt
water for kneading dough
veg oil
Method
Knead a soft dough using wheat flour, salt and water. Apply oil and rest covered for 15mins.
Divide the dough into 8-10 pieces. Make balls and flatten. Keep covered.
Roll each ball to a 3inch circle using wheat flour and apply 1/2-3/4tsp oil and fold to a ‘D’ shape.
Apply oil to the ‘D’ again and fold again to get a triangle shape.
Apply wheat flour lightly and roll to a 3mm triangular Chapati.
Heat the griddle cook the Chapati lightly on either side and then roast on each side again using 1/2tsp oil.
I prefer the Chapati soft so I do not over roast, for crispy Chapati cook on low flame on either side.
Serve hot with curry or Jhunka.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
How To Make Restaurant Style Makhani Gravy For Curries
Makhani sauce, as the name suggests is a sauce made in makkhan (butter). It is a delicately flavoured sauce which has a taste of tomatoes, aromatic spices, butter and cream.
It’s a rich gravy, loaded with calories but extremely flavourful and very popular. One can find it dominating the menu cards of any Indian Restaurant serving North Indian Food. As a child it was my favourite and now it is my kid’s. I make both the low and high calorie version of it but here I’m sharing the high calorie version. If you want to try a low calorie version, check here.
This sauce is popularly used to make paneer (paneer makhani), dal (dal makhani), vegetables (veg makhani). One can check out my innovation with this sauce here.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Jeerige Kattu ( Traditional Karnataka Style Jeera Daal)
Hi!
Today I’m posting a traditional kannadiga preparation which is very popular at my place. It is an excellent accompaniment with spicy curries and is S’s and my elder son’s favourite. Recently when my elder son was visiting us I made this several times for him.
It’s an easy lentil preparation has a strong aroma and flavour of Jeerige (cumin seeds/ Jeera). The word kattu in kannada means daal from which all the excess water has been removed. Ideally it should be a thick lentil preparation but my family likes it made a little thin.I made it with Alasande Palya and Huruduperi which is again a family favourite and for which I will post the recipes soon.
Ingredients
2 katori cooked tuvar daal
1/2-3/4tsp turmeric
2tsp cumin seeds
3-4 green chillies finely chopped
1tsp ginger chopped
1tbsp coriander leaves chopped
1tsp cumin pwd
salt to taste
oil for cooking
Method
Cook tuvar daal in a pressure cooker with a pinch of turmeric and a drop of oil. Both turmeric an.d oil help cook daal faster.
Let the pressure drop, remove the daal and mash it.
Heat about 2tbsp oil in a pan and once it is hot, lower the flame and add cumin seeds. This prevents the cumin from burning and turning black in colour.
Once the cumin has spluttered add chopped green chillies, chopped ginger, coriander and saute for a few seconds.
Now add the cumin pwd, cooked daal and mix properly. Season the daal with salt and add about 1-1/2cups water.
Bring the lentil/daal to a boil and simmer.
Let it boil for 7-8mins.
Serve hot garnished with ginger juliennes.
I personally love this daal with a dash of lime.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Indian Round Gourd applied with garlic and coconut …Lasoon Khobra Lavoon Dhenashi
Hi friends!
Summer season offers a variety of gourds which are excellent source of water and minerals. Though many gourds are available, not many people like them as they can be quite bland and hence avoid eating them. At the same time, it’s always challenging to cook everyday meal as the food has to be tasty, healthy and not repetitive. I took a big challenge by using gourd and tried to make it tasty too.
The gourd I used is called Indian round gourd commonly called Tinda in Hindi and Dhenashi in Marathi. I used a standard Maharashtrian style of applying a mix of fresh coconut and garlic to the veggie and to my surprise the gourd turned out delicious. My fussy eater ate it eagerly and demanded more. What more can a Mom ask for!!!??
Ingredients
Oil for cooking
about 3cups Indian round gourd chopped
3-4 green chillies roughly chopped
about 1/2 cup fresh coconut
3 garlic pods
1/2tsp Marathi goda masala
1/4tsp turmeric
1/2tsp red chilli pwd
1-2tsp coriander pwd
salt to taste
1/2tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of good quality asafoetida
Method
Grind coconut and garlic to make a paste.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds followed by green chillies, asafoetida and turmeric. Do not let it burn and add the chopped vegetable, salt to taste and mix.
Cook covered, when half done add the coriander, chilli powders.
Now add the coconut- garlic paste and goda masala. Cook for another minute or two.
Serve hot with chapati.