Idli Muffins

South Indian cuisine is almost synonymous with idli which is not only easy to make but also extremely healthy and easy to digest. In fact, when stranded on a highway with nothing to eat, we wouldn’t hesitate to walk into a roadside hotel and buy a few idlis, as it is steamed, and therefore quite safe to eat anywhere. No longer just a South Indian favorite, Idlis are loved and can be found just about anywhere in India. 

            To give the normal idli a twist I sometimes steam the idlis in muffins mould and gave it a healthy  vegetable toppings of Carrots, coriander, Cashewnuts and nigella seeds  for breakfast or as a snack. These small treats looks heavenly and loved by my son  and, as a bonus, convenient for those on the go. To make it more healthier, I have stuffed the idlis with sweet and sour coriander chutney.These Idlis contain no saturated fat and no cholesterol.

Ingredients 

• 2 cups Broken Rice
• 2 cups white urad daal
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• water for soaking
• 1 carrot peeled and cubed
• Cashewnuts, Nigella seeds and chopped coriander for garnishing
• Coriander chutney for filling
• Beetroot Chutney for serving 

Making the Batter

1.   Soak the rice and urad dal in separate bowls for minimum six to eight hours. You will need about twice as much water in the bowl as urad dal, as it expands as it soaks up water.

2.   Drain the rice and urad dal, discard water .Grind the urad dal to a fine paste with about 1 cup of water.Grind the rice to a paste with about 1 cup of water, less if you can. Grind coarsely as it will be only used for idli, Mix the rice and urad dal pastes together well, with salt and methi. Keep it on the kitchen slab overnight to ferment.

3.   Cut one carrot in cubes and chop the coriander leaves and keep aside.

4.   Prepare the Green chutney by grinding 1 cup fresh chopped Coriander leaves,  1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, 1 tbsp jaggery, 1 tsp tamarind paste, 2 to 3 green chilies and salt.

5.   Prepare the beetroot chutney by mixing together 1 grated beetroot, 1 green chili, 1 tbsp jaggery and salt.

Making the Idli

1.   Put water in the steamer and steam over the gas till the water starts to boil.

2.   Grease the muffins moulds with oil.

3.   Put one tbsp of batter in each mould. Put 1 tsp of green chutney on the batter and cover with one more tbsp of batter over it.

4.   Put some carrots, coriander leaves, a pike of cashew nuts on top and finally sprinkle  a pinch of nigella seeds over it.

5.   Steam for 10 minutes in a steamer or till a toothpick comes out clean.

6.   Remove Idli from pans with a thin spatula and serve with Beetroot chutney.

Masor Tenga (Tangy Fish Curry)

Assam, the beautiful state of North-East India has an incredible range of culture, awesome wildlife, the world famous Assam Tea, oldest oil refineries, famous Kamakhya temple and of course, the Assamese cuisine, which is characterized by very little use of spices but strong flavors. This Masor Tenga (Tangy Fish Curry), is an indispensable part of a proper meal in Assam. This is a light and tangy dish, and is one of Assam's signature preparations. The key ingredient in a tenga is the use of a souring agent like lemon or tomato which lends the dish a tart tangy taste. I being a fish addict, when saw this recipe in one of a popular food forum, could not stop myself and recreated the same in my kitchen some days back. It can be best enjoyed with plain rice. 

There are wide variety of souring agents that can be used to prepare this dish, ranging from the commonly available lemon, tomatoes, sour spinach to more exotic Elephant apple and  Garcinia.

A very important element of the dish is Panch Phoron (five-spice mix) which is a spice blend used in  Eastern India, especially in Bengali, Assamese, and Odia cuisine. The five spices that makes up the Panch phoron are a colourful blend of flavourful seeds: the green of fennel seed, black mustard and nigella seeds, golden fenugreek and buff-coloured cumin seeds.

Generally the ingredients are added in equal proportions, though this can vary according to taste. In the tradition of Odia and Bengali cuisine, panch phoron is typically fried in cooking oil or ghee, which causes it to start popping immediately. This technique is called "baghaar" (literally "tempering") in odia, "phoron" in Bengali, and chaunk in Hindi. At this point, one adds the other ingredients to coat with the spice mixture. The distinct aroma of Eastern cuisine is mostly due to the blend of spices known as panch phoron.

Ingredients

·         1 tbsp nigella seeds

·         1 tbsp black mustard seeds

·         1 tbsp fenugreek seeds

·         1 tbsp fennel seeds

·         1 tbsp cumin seeds

Preparation Combine all spices in a jar, store away from heat and light.It is widely used in eastern states of India and is known to impart a distinctive flavor to the traditional food!was amazed by the taste of this dish - so few ingredients, yet so effective. Just perfect for summer.

Ingredients:

• 4 nos of Fish pieces preferably rohu or katla, marinated in salt and turmeric powder for 15 minutes
• 1 big tomatoes Chopped finely
• 1 small Potato chopped
• 1 tbsp Mustard oil (MO) for frying the fish and for the curry
•  1/2 tsp Paanch foron
• Salt- to taste
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 no of Dry red chili
• 2 cups of Warm water
• 1 tsp Coriander leaves roughly chopped.
• 1 tsp Lemon juice

Procedure:

• Marinate the fish pieces with turmeric powder and salt and leave for 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a deep pan and shallow fry the fish until lightly browned. Set aside.
• Now, heat up 1 tbsp of mustard oil, almost to fuming and add the dry red chili, followed by the spoonful of Panch phoron. Once the dry spices release the aroma, add the chopped tomatoes and the turmeric powder, saute for a while and then simmer to make a pulp out of the tomatoes.
• Then put the chopped potato, mix well, saute and simmer under a lid until oil separates. Once the potatoes are soft, put the water and then fish pieces, bring to boil and keep for 3-4 minutes, check the salt content and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 
• If you want more sourness, add some lemon juice as per your taste and your fish tenga is ready to be relished.
• serve with steamed rice.

Happy Cooking:)

Chicken Shawarma - A Lebanese Gourmet dish

            

  Chicken Shawarma is a popular gourmet dish that one can get at Middle Eastern restaurants.  Marinated chicken chunks are mounted on a large rotating skewer and then roasted slowly to perfection against a gas burning grill.  Due to the unavailability of such industrial roasters at homes, Chicken Shawarma has typically remained a restaurant dish.  However by learning a few tricks you can bring the beautiful flavor of Chicken Shawarma to your home without the need of such roasters.

 

The basic concept is to have a nice marination that mimics a good chicken shawarma flavor and then grill the chicken in such a way that keeps it juicy. Do not overcook the chicken, only  13-15 minutes of cooking on medium heat is plenty, especially when we are cooking thin slices of chicken.

The Chicken Shawarma Wrap

Once the chicken shawarma is grilled, place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and shred into thin slices. Spread those slices along the diameter of a lachha paratha, add a bit of Lebanese Garlic Paste (check recipe) , some salty pickled cucumber , few charred cherry tomatoes, roll it and voila.. you’ve got yourself a nice chicken shawarma Wrap, made at home!

Ingredients

·         4 nos of thinly cut skinless boneless chicken breast

·         1 tbsp of lemon juice

·         1 tablespoons of tomato sauce

·         4 tablespoons of plain (Greek) yogurt

·         1 tablespoons of vinegar

·         1 head of garlic, crushed

·         2 tablespoons of olive oil

·         Salt  to taste

·         ½ teaspoon of ground oregano (or thyme)

·         1 teaspoon of paprika

·         ½ teaspoon of ginger paste

·         A pinch of nutmeg powder

Other ingredients for the Wrap:

Green Chutney
Lebanese Garlic Paste
Pickled Cucumber
Grilled Tomatoes
Shredded Onions
Lachha Paratha

Lets learn how to do it:

1.    Rinse the boneless chicken breasts with fresh cold water and  cut them horizontally into thinner cuts of about ½ inch (each breast could possibly be split into 2 slices depending on thickness).

2.    Mix all ingredients in a bowl and marinate the chicken in it , cover and let the chicken marinate in the fridge overnight.

3.    When ready, grill the marinated chicken using a grill for about 15 minutes on medium heat. You can also cook the chicken on a BBQ grill if you wish.

4.    Once cooked, shred the chicken breasts thinly as in the photo and it's now ready to be wrapped into a Shawarma Wrap. 

5.   Spread the chicken shreds along the diameter of a Lachha Paratha (check recipe below) , spread a bit of Lebanese Garlic paste, add some salty cucumber pickles ( Check recipe below), some charred tomatoes, green chutney (check recipe below)  , finely chopped onion, sprinkle some salt,  roll and enjoy.

A Small Secret For Moist Chicken

           Right when you take the chicken off the grill, place the chicken breasts in an empty warm pot, close the lid tightly and keep them locked for about 8-10 minutes.  The trapped vapors and moisture inside the pot will make the chicken very moist.

Grilled Baby Tomatoes or Charred Tomatoes

To bring a earthy charm to the recipe I have added the charred tomatoes as I didn't have Cherry Tomatoes at home. The earthiness it brings can not be compared to the raw tomato slices. However, it is a personal choice to use tomatoes in this way.

Pickled Cucumber

Cut cucumber into thin slices and add to the jar with 2-4 cloves of garlic crushed and minced, 3 Tbsp white vinegar,6 to 7 Black pepper corn, 3 to 4 green chillies slit lengthwise and salt . Once everything is in the jar, fill to the very top with filtered water and screw the lid  very tightly. Shake the jar  to distribute flavors and leave on your counter top for 12 hours. Shake again and turn upside down for another 12 hours, making sure the lid is screwed on tightly to avoid leakage. After pickles have sat for a total of 24 hours you can store in refrigerator and enjoy within a month for maximum freshness.

Lebanese Garlic Paste:

      In Lebanon they call it “Toom” or “Toum” which literally means garlic.   Egyptian  call it “Tooma”… Greek  have a similar version which they call “skordalia” and in Spain it’s referred to as “Aioli”.  In the US it is generally referred to as garlic sauce, however the fact is that it’s closer to being a paste than a sauce. Whatever the name is, a successful garlic sauce has a white, creamy texture similar to that of mayo, sour cream or “Labneh” and with a pungent aroma of garlic, and a mouth-watering tong-tingling blood-pressure-lowering flavor that is a perfect marriage between garlic and lemon juice.

 

This garlic paste goes very well with many BBQs, especially chicken Shawarma, grilled chicken, Kabab, BBQ chicken. The secret of making a garlic sauce lies in understanding the process of emulsification which is a process which allows liquids (water) and oils to “mix,” and turn into a “cream” in the presence of an emulsifier or emulsifying agent, and with the help of an external mechanical force such as grinding, shaking, stirring, spinning. The sequence in which oils and water are added, and the ratios also matter a lot and an imbalance can easily break the emulsification process and turn the ingredients back into a liquid state.

Traditional Garlic Sauce Preparation Method

          
        The Lebanese garlic dip was traditionally made using a pestle and mortar. People would first add the freshly peeled garlic cloves and salt to the pestle and hammer it away until it’s completely crushed. Then, they would add a tiny bit of olive oil (1/2 teaspoon) and hammer away for a minute or so, and then repeat this step for perhaps 30-40 minutes until the oil has been used, while adding a few drops of lemon juice throughout. Another way to do it is to wait on adding the lemon juice until the end. Both ways work.

Modern Preparation Method

Over time, the garlic paste making process slowly moved to food processors and olive oil was substituted with vegetable oils which made the dip less biting and even whiter.

Oil must be added at an extremely slow rate while the food processor is constantly running, and the oil pouring must stop occasionally for a few minutes to allow the garlic paste in the processor to absorb the new oils.

 

Ingredients

·         3 heads of garlic, pealed

·         180 ml of sunflower oil

·         1 lemon, freshly juiced

·         1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)

Instructions

1.    Before starting, ensure  all ingredients are at room temperature for a more reliable outcome.

2.    Add the garlic and salt in the food processor and run for 10-20 seconds. Stop processor, scrap garlic down the sides, then run processor again for another 10-20 seconds. Repeat process 3-4 times until garlic starts to turn pasty and looks crushed. This is very important to reach before proceeding.

3.    Start adding the oil to the processor at a very slow rate, in a very thin stream, each 60ml at a time. After adding the first 60ml you will start seeing the garlic emulsify and turn into a paste already.

4.    Add ½ teaspoon of lemon juice very slowly, in a thin stream. Wait on it a few seconds until the lemon juice is well absorbed.

5.    Then go back to repeating the same process of adding slowly 60ml of oil, waiting a few seconds, then adding ½ teaspoon of lemon juice until you’ve used all ingredients. This process should take 8-10 minutes.

6.    If at any point you see that the paste is turning liquid, it may be an indication that you’ve added either too much lemon juice, or oil, or you may have added them at a fast rate. In this case your options may be limited especially if the paste completely breaks. Sometimes adding a cube of ice may help.

Green Chutney:

Coriander is a herb that has been in use in ancient Indian Cooking. It is soothing to the stomach, and its long term use strengthens the stomach muscles. Coriander is a leafy vegetable, high in fibre and is beneficial for diabetic and heart patients.

Green chutney, usually known as hari chutney, is a versatile Indian condiment that can be used in many different ways. It is best used as a condiment with grilled or fried food, but may be used a spread or dip too. it acts as a spreads in wraps and rolls and also as a side during meal times

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh Coriander leaves,  chopped

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

1 tbsp jaggery

1 tsp tamarind paste

2 to 3 green chillies

salt to taste

Instructions

1.     With some water blend or grind all the ingredients in a blender or chutney grinder till smooth.

2.     Check the seasoning and add more salt if required.

3.     Store the coriander chutney in a covered bowl or container in the refrigerator.Use the coriander chutney whenever required.  

Lachha Paratha:

Laccha paratha is one of the Indian Breads, Unlike Roti or Parathas(Flat breads). This is a Layered , flakey paratha, made with Whole wheat flour. 

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Ghee - 1 tblsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Water - As needed 

Mix flour,a tsp of ghee,salt well and then sprinkle water enough to make a smooth dough. But let it be stiff, not too soft. Otherwise it will be difficult for handling.   

Divide into 4 equal balls. Roll into big circle,as big as our tawa. Then apply a tsp of ghee evenly on the top. Either use your hands to spread or with a brush.

Sprinkle a tsp of flour and spread the flour evenly and start folding like the pleats.  The finer the pleats, you get more layers.

After fully done, twist and coil (roll) to make a flat round .Roll carefully, without applying too much pressure to ensure the layers are still there.

Heat tawa and drizzle oil and cook in medium flame(with oil drizzled) both sides until golden brown. Use the spatula and gently press while cooking to ensure even cooking. Always cook in medium flame with constant pressing with the laddle to ensure even cooking.

The recipe has been adopted from http://www.mamaslebanesekitchen.com. However I have added some Indian flavor in the form of Lachha Paratha, Green Chutney, to suit to the palette of my family 

Purple Delight- Baked Greek Yogurt in Black Plum or JAMUN reduction

I was rushing home when someone informed me that heavy rain is on the way. I was excited to come home at this time, and get drenched in the rain ……because my favourite season has finally arrived. I was waiting for the heavy down pour, but nothing came, except the occasional drizzle. The sky looked dark and cloudy lighting up my hopes. And I am still waiting for that magical music of rainfall.

For me, monsoon is a word that stirs up my fondest childhood memories of invigorating smell of damp earth, budding leaves, knee-deep water, crisp air, and ominous clouds rolling across the sky. And the fun of making paper boats with old newspapers and floating them in the water which had formed puddles and streams. The boats would dance their way to oblivion.

Some of my best childhood memories pertains to picking up the Jamuns strewn on the sidewalks after falling off the branches that outgrew the periphery of our neighbor’s garden. The sweet, sour flavours of the beautiful purple fruit Jamun or black plum or Java plum is something that makes it irresistible. Irresistible  because it brings back beautiful memories from childhood.  We would gather a handful of the fruit while coming from school and wash them at our garden tap then pull out a small pack of spicy salt hidden in our pockets, sprinkle it over the fruit and enjoy our fruit hiding away in some corner of our home. 

  

It's only recently that I have used this fruit in cooking. For years, right from childhood we had the fruit uncooked delighting in its purple-ness, comparing whose mouth was stained a shade richer or lighter, picking the darkest and ripest ones as the berries have an astringent quality and the ripest ones are the sweetest.

                 Jamun or Indian blackberry is also called Jambu in Gujarati, Jamun in Hindi & Marathi, Perinnaral in Malayalam, Jamukoli in Odia, Neredum in Tamil, Kalajam in Bengali, Neereedi in Telugu and Black plum or Java plum in English. Every part of the jamun tree is said to have medicinal uses:  its fruit, its seed, bark and leaves.The fruit has also rich in manganese, zinc, iron, calcium, sodium and potassium, ALL OF which play an important role in various bodily functions.The fruit is slightly acidic but we love to have the really ripe ones as they turn soft and sweet. Because of the presence of anthocyanin, a plant pigment, having the fruit colours the tongue purple.

Health Benefits

Jamun Fruit is said to have the best remedy for all chronic ailments including Diabetes. The compounds namely peptidyglycan and an oligosaccharide present in Black Jamun have been found to play a crucial role in lowering sugar levels in a diabetic person. The fruit has also rich in minerals such as manganese, zinc, iron, calcium, sodium and potassium, which play an important role in various bodily functions. The ripe jamun fruit is well recognized as a liver stimulant, digestive, carminative and coolant.The fresh seeds of jamun fruit reduce blood sugar levels and glucosuria in diabetic patients. The fruit juice is used in diarrhea and dysentery and its effectiveness is noted when the patient passes blood-mixed stool.                       

Ingredients:

500gms Purple Jamun

400 gms hung curd

2 cups sugar

Khoya made out of 1/2 lt milk

1 ripe banana

1 tsp green cardamom powder

Lets learn how to do it:

•  Hang the yogurt in a muslin cloth for minimum 3 to 4 hrs so that all the liquid from the yogurt drains out.
•  Boil the milk on a heavy bottomed pan along with 1 to 2 green cardamom . Once it comes to a boil , simmer and cook till it reduces to a fine crumbles. You have to stir the milk in regular intervals and scrap the sides of the pan. Take out the khoya and let it cool. Keep aside.

                                         

• Now take out the seeds from the jamuns or the Black Plum and put in a blender to take out the juice from the jamun. Strain in a strainer and keep aside.

 

• Now put the black plum juice on a heavy bottomed pan and add the sugar. Put on medium  flame till it comes to a boil. Once it starts boiling, lower the flame and let the juice reduce to half of its quantity. Take away from the heat and let it cool.
  ·         Now mix the hung curd, Khoya, mashed banana, cardamom powder, powdered sugar and 2 tbsp chopped jamuns and blend everything in the blender till smooth.
  ·         Preheat the  Oven at 180 degree for 10 minutes. Pour the mixture on ramekin mould or any oven proof mould and cover it with aluminium foil.
  ·        Put in the Oven and pour water in the tray till half of the ramekin mould and bake for 20 to 25 minutes .
  ·         Keep in the oven for another 5 minutes and then take it away and let it cool completely before putting in the fridge . Once cool, put the baked yogurt in the fridge over night and take it out before serving. 

• Before serving, take out the baked yogurt and place in the middle of the serving plate. Pour the jamun reduction and place a jamun on top and serve it to your family and friends. Enjoy cooking and stay Blessed.