Tapas style party, 2007

Close friends of ours are moving to India. Another couple just had a daughter and we hadn't had a chance to have them over. Our new gift, a book - Asian Tapas - was calling out to be used.
Menu-

• Chai with Vada pav - batata vada, tamarind chutney and garlic chutney, ciabatta bread. This is typical roadside eatery dish.
  
• Surali chya vadya/ Khandvi. Not quite roadside but a snack nevertheless.
  
• Yakitori beef with eggplant. (From the book, Asian Tapas)
  
• Dim sum- 3 kinds
  
• Kashmiri Shrimp kababs (From the book, Asian Tapas)
• For dessert, fruit cake topped with ice-cream. (From Safeway!)
  

Drinks-

• Saki
• White wine
• Juice

Preparations-

1. Yakitori beef with eggplant -
   

Ingredients-

• Kobe beef. We replaced it with US Choice Grade (Sirloin Steak). Cut into 3/4 inch cubes.
• Asian Eggplant cut into 3/4 inch pieces.
• Sesame oil.
• Olive oil:Butter :: 1:1
  

Marinade-

• Light soy sauce
• Dark soy sauce
• Ponzu sauce
• Sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper

Mix all above ingredients in 3:2:1:1 proportion + 1 tsp of pepper.

How to-
Marinate the beef for 4 hours minimum. Pan fry eggplant for 30 seconds on each side in sesame oil. Arrange alternate eggplant and beef pieces on a steel skewer(we used bamboo). Heat olive oil and butter mixture in a skillet over high heat. Place skewers in skillet and let sear for 10 seconds each side for rare and longer for medium rare. Serve while hot.



2. Vada pav(spicy potato poppers in a sandwich)-

Ingredients-

• Baked potatoes
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Salt
• Turmeric powder
• Lemon juice
• Cummin seeds
• Chili Pepper powder.
  

How to-
For aboutFor about 4-5 medium sized baked potatoes, use 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cummin seeds, 1 tsp garlic and 1 tsp ginger. 2 tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of lemon juice. Salt and sugar to taste. Mix crushed baked potatoes and above ingredients together. Divide into 15 parts and make flat round patties out of them. For the shell, mix 5 tbsp of garbanzo flour(besan) with water slowly, turmeric powder and paprika and salt. Coat patties with the 'besan' mix by immersing in the wet flour potion and then frying them on high heat in a deep utensil. Remove and place on tissues to absorb the extract the extra oil.

For the vada-pav(sandwich combination) - use fresh ciabatta bread, slice open, add garlic chutney on 1 side and tamarind chutney on the other. Insert vada in between, close the bread and chomp!

I practically had this for breakfast for all of my undergrad years!

Photos for tamarind chutney and garlic chutney follow. I will put these recipes up if there is any interest.





3. Surali chya vadya - Spicy Khandvi rolls
A recipe touted by both the Maharashtrians and the Gujratis to be theirs originally.






4. Shaomai- Credit for this go to our close friends.

'Review' - a new label.

When cooking reluctance meets famished tummies, a new label is born. Some restaurants provide an opportunity for the zealously driven cooks and gourmands to mingle. Here is my personal assessment of how good some of the local eateries are.

Goan fish croquettes

Goan fish croquettes
Originally uploaded by Taswiir.

Recipe from Atul Kochar's Indian Essence book..recipe soon to come with faux pas to be avoided!

Review: California Cafe, Los Gatos

Sage Tea, Potstickers in the foreground. Belgian Waffles with Applewood bacon. Warm and toasty breads/muffins with butter. Mmm mm mm.

Vegetable fritata.

Opens on Sat at 11:30am. We were at the door at 10:57am. Got to choose a shaded area where we could park the stroller. Set in downtown Los Gatos with a view of LG hills, under the shade of an unknown yet huge tree, with a musician playing her guitar passionately but soothingly, California Cafe gets high points for service, ambience, taste and price. Anniversary brunch cost me $37 inclusive of tip. The Banana Republic across the street cost my husband 10x times as much soon after. My thumbs up for a place that is just 15 mins from S. San Jose.

Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese
Originally uploaded by Taswiir.

The most amazing M&C I've had so far. Sweet and tart mushrooms on the side were the perfect accompaniment.

Aleevachi kheer

Aleevachi kheer
Originally uploaded by Taswiir.

Pumpkin Bread.

Got this recipe from my mother-in-law's friend, Mrs. Anuradha Soman. I added sliced almonds and walnuts to the batter. I also added wet ingredients to the dry ones. This sequence matters says my husband.











Ingredients-
1.5 flour
0.5 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 egss, beaten
1/4 c. water
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 c. choppped nuts ( optional)

Preheat your over to 350. Sift together the floupr, slat, sugar, and baking soda. In a spearate bowl, combine the pumkin, oil, eggs, water and spices. Pour into the bowl w/ dry ingredients and mix until all are combined - don't stir too much! Stri in the nuts, if you are using them(I like it better w/o the nuts). Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 in loag pan, bake 50-60 minutes until done in them iddle. Remove from pan, cool on a rack.

Keep wrapped in the refrigerate. Really good w/ cream cheese or chooped walnits in cream cheese.

Blueberry Muffins/Cake (2nd attempt)

First time around the muffins were buttery yet dry. Sort of crumbly. This time I added some milk to the batter to make the end product moist (thanks to Food Network tips) and it worked. Ingredients: Milk, flour (sifted), milk, eggs, butter, baking powder, sugar, salt and blueberries. I also added some lemon zest to give it a fresh and tangy taste. Maybe next time I should put more zest - this time blueberries sort of over power the lemony taste. But hey ... these are supposed to be blueberry muffins/cake!

Mix all the wet ingredients into a creamy mixtures.
Then add all the dry ingredients and mix until everything is blended together.
Make sure the blueberries are tossed in some flour before you 'fold' them into the batter. And be gentle when you fold the berries - otherwise they will be mashed.
Into the oven for 20 mins at 400 deg F. Be vigilant after ~15 mins - as they may burn. I have a convection oven, and usually things cook faster with the fan running (compared to the conventional ovens). The pictures show that the cake is slightly over done.

"Small and Sophisticated" Thanksgiving Menu

Got the 'Small and Sophisticated' menu from epicurious.

COURSE I
Cranberry Kir Royale substituted this w/ apple cider.
Foie Gras-Stuffed Dates substituted this w/ light cream cheese stuffed dates w/ chives for topping.
Celery Bisque with Stilton Toasts


Table setting for our thanksgiving dinner - celery bisque w/ toast served, dish of stuffed dates on the side.


COURSE II
Recommended white wine - 2003 Far Niente Chardonnay, Napa Valley
Turkey Breast Roulade with Crimini, Porcini, and Pancetta Our turkey w/ the ties intact.

Recommended red wine - 2003 Joseph Drouhin Vosne-Romanée
Orange-Glazed Carrot Ribbons
Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Fresh Sage


Haricots Verts, Roasted Fennel, and Shallots - We dropped this.
Cranberry-Ginger Chutney - Was good!

COURSE III
Frozen Pumpkin Mousse with Walnut-Toffee Crunch - my best creation!

Ayurvedic(organic) Kadha for stopping coughing

All ingredients to be added according to the cook's judgement. The function of this kadha is to soothe a throat that has coughed for an extended time period. It gives instant relief and stops the coughing for about an hour or two. However, this concoction is not to be consumed in gallons. It has high heat content, high sugar content.

Magic potion ingredients - 1 inch Ginger grated/sliced, 4-5 black peppers, 1 inch cinnamon stick, Jaggery to taste, 2-3 cloves. Boil all ingredients in 1.5 cup of water until the liquid turns a putrid brown. Make the victim drink while hot. Not scalding hot, but when soothing hot.

Credit for this recipe goes to my aunt who awed me one day when I was made to drink a cup of this ghastly looking hot beverage. My coughing ceased. I was sold.

Vinegar cha loncha!

Raw mangoes, made into 2 inch cubes.
Garlic - whole 'kalya'.
Dried California raisins
Dried dates - small bits of.
Dried red chillies
Ginger - sliced
Black pepper - whole
Sugar - as much as the mangoes.

Cook the mangoes. Drain. Make 1.5 tari syrup of sugar and water, add salt to taste. Add the rest of the ingredients except the dried chillies. Add them after the mixture has cooled.

Credit for this recipe goes to my maternal aunt, who had so far kept this recipe under wraps quite successfully.

Teelachi chatni - Nagpuri style

  

Bhakri barobar khaychi chatNi.

Ingredients -
1. Sesame seeds
2. Gul(jaggery)
3. Tamarind paste
4. Ground peanuts
5. Salt to taste
6. Chilli powder
7. Cummin powder

Procedure -
Add mustard seeds, Asafoetida to hot oil(2-3 spoonfull) and add it hot the pre-made mixture of the above ingredients. The mixture would make about 1.5 cups.

Notes - This chutney is high in its heat content(not taste wise) and is therefore consumed in winters. Eat in moderation to avoid upset stomachs. This is one more of my mother's amazing dishes that bowled my husband over. My husband is not a bhakri eater, but after this chutney, I can see myself making more bhakris than I did in the last 5 years of our married lives. Incidentally, this was also my father's favorite chutney.

Lamb roast (shank) with serrano-vinegar sauce

Instead of serving it with risotto, I made Indian style pulav. In the serrano vinegar sauce, I substituted red wine vinegar with apple cider vinegar - thought a fruity touch to the sauce will taste nice with the roast lamb. And the lamb was roasted in red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon) and chicken broth bath.

Courtesy - Bobby Flay

Pineapple Salsa

Pictures speak a thousand words. So be it. Laziness has reached its limits.
Aim - To replenish the diminishing quantities of pineapple salsa without leaving house.

  

Step 1 - Steal ingredients' list from the label.
 

Step 2 - Collect ingredients. Garlic pesto replaced garlic cloves which I was out of.
Left to Right(Standing), Pineapple, Fire roasted tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic pest.
Left to Right(Sitting), Dead looking cilantro, green chillies(spg?), 1/2 onion.
 

Step 3 - Chop-em, open cans.
 

Step 4 - Chop in mixie
 

Step 5 - What happened to the rest of the can of crushed pineapple - fruit salad!
 

Lesson- Fire roasted tomatoes get a thumbs up. Adding raw onion if the salsa won't be finished in 1 sitting, is a bad idea. It is bad for the salsa, it is bad for the refrigerator. It is bad for spousal appeasement.

Almond Cookies

Ingredients

Makes about 20 coookies

Almond paste(roasted almonds -in this case store bought- crushed in a mixer) 1/2 cup

Roasted almond pieces 1/2 cup

All purpose flour 1 cup

Sugar 1 cup

Butter 1 stick

Baking powder 1 teaspoon

Pinch of salt

Preparation

Mix almond paste, sugar and butter well. Add to it, the almond pieces. Sift flour over this mixture and keep beating with an electric beater. Add 1 egg slowly as well until the mixture gets the consistency of a dough without kneading. Keep the dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take out the dough and make 20 small dough balls and place them 2 inches apart on a buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 375'F for 15 minutes or until golden brown!

You can see I didn't place my dough balls 2 inches apart making for 1 huge cookie made from all cookies fusing with eachother.

Baked egglant

 

Details later. Chef Mahesh's exotic dish from his birthday baking books. 

Invention-III Spicy Buttons

Mushrooms are a fungi that I've developed a taste for because of a house mate who cooked the best mushrooms with cummin and hot spices. This recipe specifically avoids those spices in order to not offend that supreme dish with a subpar preparation of my own.

 
Ingredients-
~1 pound brown mushrooms
1 medium sized onion
3-4 cloves of garlic
chives
basil
2 tablespoons of cream
pepper
salt
vodka(optional)
peas to add color

Preparation-
Slice washed mushrooms no thinner than 3-4mm. Julienne cut onions. Slice garlic so that they can be easily removed by the non-gourmet. Heat oil in a pot that cen be covered, add onions and garlic and saute until onions turn transparent and its edges a little brown. Add cut chives in it(yes, do it). Add ground pepper generously. Stir, sit back. For 5 seconds. At this point for some more heat, you can add either paprika or someother heat adding ingredient. I added 'El Pato' yesterday. You are ready to add mushrooms. Instead of water, to add an extra tang, I tied up plain yogurt in a cloth and drained its water for about 2-3 hours. I used this water to cook my mushrooms. Cook it covered for a while, then take off lid to let the excess water evaporate. Add the peas(if frozen, wash in warm water) and salt. Now twiddle thumbs. Once the water is gone, add the cream and about a handul of basil. This dish is high on herbs and spices as you can tell. Don't worry about the basil, it will lose a little bit of its aroma with the cream. Cook on low heat until it amuses you. For a sharp tastes, vodka(1 shot equivalent) can be added right after one adds cream.

This dish goes well with plain rice as it is spicy. 

Mango Shrikhand

A friend's recipe, haven't tried it out yet.

Mountain Head Yoghurt: 32 Oz
Mango Pulp: 16 0z
Elaichi: 1 tsp
Sugar: 1 cup (or to taste)
Garnish: 1 tbsp sliced pistachios

Put the yoghurt in a thin cloth, tie the cloth tightly and hang it some place so that the water can drain out. Overnight the water should drain out completely. [tip: you can try and put some weight on the bundle as well]

Next day morning, before mixing all the ingredients, strain the mango pulp in a similar way to remove most of the liquid.

Then, grind the dry yoghurt, mango pulp, elaichi and sugar. Shrikhand is ready ! Top the shrikhand with some dry fruits.

Servings 6 to 8.

Walnut Raisin Biscotti

  

The recipe was seen today morning on KQED. Check the details here.

The photo is of chef Mahesh kneading.

  

Saboodana vada like poppers with a spinach dip.

Spinach Dip
Ingredients-
- fat free sour cream
- spinach
- fromage du blanc
- salt
- chives
- basil
- balsamic vinegar

Preparation- Mix uncooked spinach and the rest of the ingredients in a mixer. Turn it on. Done. I garnished with walnuts.

Sabudana vada poppers

Ingredients-

- saboodana/sago
- peanut powder
- green chillies
- salt and equal amount of sugar
- baked potatoes enough to hold the sago together when made into patties.

For the cover- egg white, bread crumbs, cumin seeds

Preparation-
Wet all the sago. Leave just enough water that it comes to about 0.5cm from the bottom of the bowl you wet your sago in. Set aside for longest of times depending really on the quality of sago. Best ones need about 30 minutes. I used mine after 2 nights. You can tell it is done if the sago feels soft through and through to touch. The better of the sagos will not gather inspite of wetting and will have distinct sago balls instead of becoming one mass of carbohydrate. Add the peanut powder(this powder is to be a loose powder as well, not crushed to be anywhere close to peanut butter), cut green chillies, salt, sugar, baked and mashed potatoes(only if the sago has become too dry or to act as a filler when you fall short of sago). Roll them into patties shaped liked your favorite patty shape. Now, this is where I divert from the standard Indian frying. Sago soaks in a lot of oil and pan fry doesn't work. Hence, I rolled my poppers/patties in egg white then in bread crumb-cumin mix and then deep fried them. Traditionally these are to be eaten when hot with a cold peanut-yogurt chutney. I had a tonne of spinach at home, so I opted for a cool spinach dip. Enjoy, get fat.