Shrimps in Mustard Paste

This favorite of mine is a classic for prawn/shrimp lovers, especially so if you like the Oriya/Bengali way of cooking with a mustard paste. It's easy to make - take sless than 30 minutes, and makes you go absolutely slurp-slurp-slurp! The taste differs quite a bit depending on whether you use fresh mustard paste, english mustard or dijon or any of the ready made mustard pastes available in supermarkets. If you have a coffee/spice grinder, I definitely recommend using fresh mustard seeds. So here you go!

You need (Serves 2):

10-12 prawn/shrimps (up to your apetite really!)
Onion - 1 medium, sliced
Tomato - 1 medium chopped fine
Green chili - 2, slit
Ginger-garlic paste (2 tbsp) or if you want to make it fresh, 1 inch ginger grated and 4-5 cloves of garlic crushed fine
Panch phoran (1 tsp)
Mustard seeds (2 tbsp)
Mustard oil
Yogurt/Set Curd - 1 cup (beaten thoroughly)

For the mustard paste:
Soak the mustard seeds for 1 hour, and then grind into a paste with the spice grinder. Add a little water to ensure you get a creamy texture.

Heat 4 tbsp of mustard oil in a fry pan and fry the prawns in on medium to low heat for 5-8 mins
Take the fried prawns out, and to the same oil, add the panch phoran.
Once the panch phoran starts spluttering, add the split green chilis
Add the sliced onions and fry till translucent (I like to fry them a little more, since I like the dhaba effect of extra fried onions)
Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry till the raw smell is gone. Cover the pan with a lid from time to time to retain moisture.
Now add the tomatoes and cook for 3-5 minutes
Lower the heat, add the mustard paste and the fried prawns and mix slowly. Cover the pan and let it settle for a couple more minutes
Add the curd and mix slowly. Make sure you do this under very low heat, so the gravy does not curdle.
Serve with white rice.

Saunfiana Gobhi Aloo (Cauliflower-Potato stir fry with aromatic fennel spices)

It's always interesting to see a slight difference in spice mix, the way you use them and at what stage you add them, makes a simple dish so elegant!

There is something very simple, nice and comforting about this cauliflower-potato preparation. I have always preferred to have cauliflower in its most natural form - less spice, crunchy, mild and flavorful. This perhaps comes from the way I have grown up eating this vegetable. Mom always kept it simple – either in a thin tangy tomato based gravy or as simple stir fry with lots of fresh cilantro and of course a few variations at times with  paneer, potatoes, peas or onions etc. 

This preparation is called 'Saunfiana' because of the use of  'Saunf' which means fennel seeds in Hindi. Fennel and coriander seeds always compliment the sweetness of cauliflower and potatoes.

Though this preparation has most of the spices very coarsely ground, as if in a very earthy/rustic style but the flavors you get as you bite into seem as if unfolding layers in a very elegant manner. With each morsel you bite into a different spice! 

I would rate this is as a must-make for vegetarian guests! By far, one of my most favorite cauliflower-potato preparation.  And it's super easy and fast!

You need (serves 2) :

Cauliflower – 1 cup (cut into bite size florets)

Potatoes – 2 (peeled and cut into half or quarter, to make it same size as the cauliflower florets)

Coriander seeds – 1 Tbsp

Saunf/ Fennel seeds – 2 tsp

Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

Peppercorn – 10-15 nos. 

Salt – to taste

Mustard oil – 1-2 Tbsp

Asafoetida/ Hing – ¼ tsp

Red chili powder – ¼ tsp (adjust to taste)

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Fresh cilantro/ Coriander leaves

Lime Juice – 1 tsp (optional or as per taste)

1. In boiling water add half teaspoon of salt. Add the cauliflower and boil for 1 min. (Don't boil any longer longer as this will cook the cauliflower and make it gooey). Drain the cauliflower and run under cold water immediately. This is to stop the cooking process and retain the color/ texture. 
2. Boil the potatoes till half done. Drain and keep aside. Again make sure they are only half cooked and not any more. This will makes sure the potatoes and cauliflower when cooked together will cook to perfection. 
3. Dry roast on low flame the coriander, cumin, saunf/fennel seeds and peppercorn till you get a nice aroma. Don't over roast as they will burn and lose the flavor :).  Stop roasting once you get the aroma of the spices. Coarsely grind these spices in a mortar-pestle. Don't use a blender you need it very very coarse (as shown in the picture). If you don't have a mortar-pestle, take the spices in a zip-lock bag or roll between a cloth and bash it with any heavy object (no ceramic/ fine china please :))
4. In a non-stick pan, add the mustard oil and heat till it fumes. This will ensure all the bitterness of the oil is gone. Add asafoetida/ hing. 
5. Now add the potato, cauliflower and mix well. 
6. Add red chili powder, salt and turmeric and give it a quick stir.
7. Now cover and cook for 4-5 min.  
8. Now add the ground spice mix and gently stir. 
9. Cover and cook for another 4-5 min or until done. 
10. Now add freshly chopped cilantro and a add a dash of lime (if you like it slight tangy)!

* if you are using baby potatoes, can leave the skin on.

Kalmi Kabab

Kabab, Kebob, kabob or kebab or whatever variation you may have tried of this all time hit, you gotta admit this must be the oldest celebrity meat dishes in this world. The word itself is so old (from Akkadian:kababu - "to burn, char"), it makes you think - people of this world probably started enjoying this delicacy long before the advent of the written word. Perhaps one of the most loved, most customized, most delicious and the most simple non vegetarian stuff there ever was, is and will be!

No wonder I am a fan of kababs. So I set about making one of my personal favorite variants - the "kalmi kabab" - and it turned out super! So here's the secret folks. Well, no secret really - it's way too simple. Indian spices, yogurt, all purpose flour, egg and you are done!

You need:

(For four chicken legs) 

Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Shahi jeera (roasted and ground) - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon stick - 2 inch
Yogurt (set dahi) - 1 cup
Lime juice - 6 tbsp
Egg (beaten) - 1 no
All purpose flour (maida) - 1/4 cup
Saffron - 1 pinch
Salt to taste

1. Wash and dry the chicken leg pieces and make small incisions at a few places with your knife. This will make sure the marinade stays in.
2. Take 1 tbsp of milk in a small bowl and warm it up in the microwave for 3-4 seconds. Add the pinch of saffron into the warm milk and mix well.This releases all the color and flavor really well.
3. Mix all the ingredients above, and the milk and saffron from step 2.
4. Coat the chicken thoroughly with the marinade and set aside for 2 hours
5. Pre heat oven to 450 F for 10-15 minutes
6. Place the chicken pieces on a rack with a drip tray beneath so it does not get sticky and gooey as water oozes out during the grilling process.
7. Spray some oil/butter/ghee on the chicken pieces (or just drizzle if you don't have a cooking spray)
8. Grill for 15 minutes, turn the pieces over, spray some oil/butter/ghee on the other side, and grill for 15 more minutes to ensure its done well from all sides.

Serve with onion, lime, thinly shredded cabbage and mint chutney, eat well and come back and tell me about it!

Swiss Roll/ Jelly Roll

Oh! You have no idea how excited I am sharing this recipe with you. This comes from a pastry chef himself. So you can be sure that it works – perfectly! While you might have seen numerous recipes giving you 20 different steps to do it, a list of do's and dont's, separating the whites from the yolk,   making simple syrup,  folding 4 different ingredients in a specific order, and still not got it right! But now, the secret of awesome swiss roll is out. Such a fool proof recipe you will be compelled to make it at every given opportunity! Diligently follow measurements and the steps and you won't go wrong ever! (Do read notes at the bottom for tips and tricks!)

Two ingredients that make this super moist and flavorful is the warm mixture of milk + oil, and addition of honey respectively. Your cake will fold very easily and not crack and will have a lovely dewy flavor of honey!

I decided to make two swiss rolls each with a different flavor, since eating just one flavor can a little monotonous at times :). And if you can get two varieties from baking just one cake, why not! Oh, did I give this secret out too!! :)

So one swiss roll was made with strawberries, for which I used home made strawberry jam. While strawberry and cream is a classic combination in itself, but don't under estimate lemon and cream duo, as it is a super vibrant, fresh, zesty and bursting with flavor kind of combination. The tartness of the lemon and the sweetness of cream with the mellow honey flavored cake is a pure joy!!! You just HAVE to give it a try. Buy a bottle of good quality lemon curd, and you will know what I am talking about!! 

I still can't get over this !!!

You need:

For the cake:

Large Eggs – 4 

Egg yolk  of 1 large egg- 1

Sugar – 80 Grams

Honey – 30 grams

Flour – 80 Grams

Milk  - 30 Grams

Oil – 20 Grams

For the strawberry filling:

Whipped Cream – ½ – 1 Cup (depending on how creamy would you like it)

Strawberry Jam – ½ Cup (adjust as per your liking)

For the lemon curd filling:

Whipped cream - ½ – 1 Cup (depending on how creamy would you like it)

Lemon Curd– ½ Cup (adjust as per your liking)

1. First keep the baking pan ready before starting with the cake batter because once the cake mixture is ready you will have to immediately bake it without wasting any time. If you wait for too long, the cake will not rise and will be chewy. To get started apply butter on the baking tray and line the baking tray with a parchment paper. Use a block of butter straight out of fridge and smear it all over the baking tray.  That makes the baking paper stick nicely to the pan. Now place another parchment paper repeat the butter application. Now sprinkle some all purpose flour on the tray and tap it gently as you rotate the tray to uniformly coat the entire baking tray with a thin layer of flour. This will stop the cake from sticking to the tray. and with 2 layers of parchment paper, this becomes fool proof. Makes life easier :)
2. Preheat the oven to  390°F (200°C).
3. Add the eggs, egg yolk, sugar, and honey into a bowl and mix well.
4. Now on a double boiler whisk this well till the mixture becomes lukewarm. If you have a candy thermometer the temperature of the mixture should be roughly 102°F (39°C ). If not, check the temperature with your finger, it should be lukewarm and not too hot, else you will have to a bowlful of sweetened scrambled eggs. And trust me they taste awful!! Some experiences are worth sharing :) 
5. Once the mixture is 102 F, take the bowl away from the heat and start mixing with an electric mixer. Note: this 
6. The mixture will turn into a cream. Keep mixing until there are no air bubbles left. This can take up to 10-12 minutes or more. Basically it should not fall off the whisk when you lift this mixture in your whisk. 
7. Add the sieved flour (all at once) and fold in slowly using a flat spatula. Be gentle as the mixture will lose all air bubbles and cake will fall flat if not folded in gently.  Warm the milk and oil in the microwave and add it to the dough. Again fold in gently. The liquid tends to sink to the bottom of the bowl, so mix with a bottom-to-top movement. 
8. Pour the dough onto the baking pan and level it gently. Yes, please be gentle, this cake is a delicate baby. 
9. Here’s one more trick: To make sure that there are no big air bubbles left in the dough, drop the pan on the table once. OK OK.. I meant face up to let the gentle tap of hard surface at the bottom of the pan push all the air out. Ok, to simplify it further, hold the two ends of the tray and place it an inch above the table. Gently drop the tray. That's it!
10. Put the pan into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes at 390°F (200°C) until the surface turns golden brown.
11. While the swiss roll is in the oven, make your tea/ coffee and enjoy it. (This is not a part of the recipe, you silly!)
12. Once done, take it out of the oven and heavily drop it onto the table to let the steam in the dough go out. This steam could turn to water later and make the roll soggy. No we don't want a soggy swiss roll after all that whisking! 
13. Next, put another parchment paper on top of it and turn it around to make sure the cake is not sticking to any part of the tray. Carefully strip the baking paper from the top side. 
14. Now evenly spread the strawberry jam followed by whipped cream for the strawberry swiss roll, and lemon curd followed by whipped cream for the latter one.  
15. Gently roll with both your hands to form swiss rolls. The cake will be moist enough to easily roll without cracking. However, you can also use the following technique. Starting from the side closest to you, start to roll the cake using the parchment paper. Gently peel back the parchment paper as you keep rolling. Once done, keep the seam at the bottom so that it doesn't open up. 

The baking pan I use has a size of 30x33 cm. If your baking pan has a different size, you need to scale the amounts of all ingredients accordingly.

For example, if you use a 40x40 cm baking pan, you will need to multiply all the amounts with: (40*40):(30*33) =1.6

If you plan to make two different rolls, each with a different flavor,  cut the cake lengthwise into two long rectangles. Please, please, PLEASE don't cut into two squarish cakes even by mistake as you won't be able to roll it then. So to make it simple, imagine how the roll would look once its ready. And NOW, if you were to cut  this swiss roll into 2 halves how would you cut. Just slice the cake along that very same line!!! Please don't tell me you still did it!! :)

Cabbage Kabab (Super Healthy, Super Tasty!)

Super healthy and super tasty kababs for vegetarians. Don't let the cabbage discourage you! The cabbage and potato mixture make these kababs super moist, succulent. Since I  steam-cook the cabbage almost three-fouth, before adding other ingredients, it has a creamy texture and there is no way anyone will guess whats inside!!  It's a must try!

By the way it's my mom's recipe with a slight twist! While she cuts her cabbage a little coarser to have a distinct taste of crispy cabbage, I like mine very very fine (almost minced) to lend a creamier texture and taste. She makes them like patties/ cutlet shapes (to keep them crispier uniformly) and avoids cornflour, while I make mine round so that I get a succulent centre and crispy exterior. Feel free to try my mom's version too as a variety, just chop the cabbage a little coarse and shape them like patties and skip the corn flour. It tastes good too!!

You need:

Very finely grated cabbage - 1 Cup

Boiled potato - 1 medium size (grated fined)

Onion - 1 medium (chopped very very fine)

Roasted cumin powder - 1 tsp 

Green chilies - 2-3 nos. (fine chopped, adjust to taste)

Fresh coriander leaves/Cilantro - 1/2 cup (chopped fine)

Fresh mint leaves - 5-6 nos. (fine chopped)

Fresh ground pepper - 1/4 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp (adjust to taste)

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp (adjust to taste)

Corn flour - 1/2  Tbsp

Gram flour - 1/2 Tbsp

Aamchoor/ Dry mango powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 Tbsp (or enough to pan fry)

1. Add a tsp of water to the cabbage and pop it in the microwave oven for 2-3 min. (squeeze out if any excess water remains). You can alternatively cook it in a non-stick pan without adding any water till its cooked three-fourth. The objective is to cook it before making the kabab so that it remains soft, moist and creamy. 
2. Mix all the ingredients other than oil and mix really well so that the kabab mix is homogenous.
3. Cover with a cling wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for 15-20 min. This makes the mixture firm enough to not crumble while cooking. 
4. After 15-20 minutes if you feel the mixture is not firm enough to stay intact while cooking add a little more gram flour to the mixture. Add just enough to hold it as adding more flour would make it less succulent and soft. 
5. Form balls and cook on a non-stick pan with just enough oil to coat the kababs and fry till golden brown in color. The heat should be medium high in the beginning and then low so that exterior gets a little crispy from outside and still stays soft from inside.
6. Transfer to a plate and serve with mint chutney!

* To make roasted cumin owder - slow roast on a pan and crush in a mortar pestle or spice blender)

Pyaz ki Khatti-Meethi Tarkari (baby-onions in sweet-tangy sauce)

Nice sweet tangy onion subzi thats quite refreshing. It's a simple, no-fuss dish that goes very well with any kind of dal and phulkas (puffed indian bread). Perfect on a day when you want to eat something light and easy!

You need:

White pearl baby onions - 12-14 cps. (Substitute with roughly chopped onions)

Green Chili - 2 (slit)

Mustard Oil - 1 tsp

Onion Seeds/ Kaluanji/ Nigella Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Ginger Pate - 1/2 tsp

Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp

Jaggery - 2 Tbsp 

Red chili powder - 1/4 tsp (adjust to taste)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

1. Heat mustard oil in pan till it starts fuming. If you are cooking in mustard oil, always make sure the oil is heated till it fumes and only then start adding other ingredients. This takes away the bitterness from the oil and lends only the mustard flavor to your dish.
2. Add kalaunji and green chili. 
3. Once kalaunji splutters add turmeric, ginger, garlic paste and fry for 15-20 sec. 
4. Add the tamarind pulp, red chili powder, salt and jaggery.
5. Add a cup of water and mix all the ingredients well. 
6. Now add the onions and cook till the onions lose their pungent taste and become sweet and soft.
7. Serve with phulkas and dal. 

*If you don't have baby-onions at hand, replace with red onions (quartered and layers separated)

Flavored Water

Ok! This is not a recipe really!

It's summer again! Time to drink loads of water, beat the heat with with fruit-smoothies, a lot of of ice-cream and whether you like it or not, a lot of sugary dehydrating soda too. 

I am one among many who somehow cannot manage to drink the daily recommended quota of water to detoxify and to keep the body hydrated. :(. So here's something that makes me drink more water than I usually do! 

It's amazing how plain simple water when stirred with natural fruits/vegetables can become so refreshing!  I wasn't so hopeful; when I first saw an article in one of the health magazines, but the picture looked so enticing that I decided to give it a try. And ever since, my refrigerator always has a carafe of flavored water!! It has a nice zesty-minty flavor which is very very mild and yet so refreshing. And the ginger adds to a subtle crispiness to the water. That's like a lot of description for pure simple water.. but the end result is so thirst quenching and hydrating, I can't help it! ;)

If you are traveling, going for a picnic, trekking, even going to office or sending kids to school, fill individual bottle for water with these natural flavoring ingredients and sip away to glory!Another benefit - you will end up spending a lot less on bottled water or soda!! Save money, Save plastic!! (And for those who like the idea of glowing skin, this gives a nice doze of anti-oxidants too! :)). Next I plan to use orange, peach and mint!

How to make it: In a pitcher or carafe add water, a few slices of pineapple, sliced ginger and a few mint leaves. Stir them well and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. You can also store it at room temperature if you wish to. After 3-4 hours, if you feel you need a little more flavor from any of the ingredients, just muddle it 1-2 times!

Mushroom - Spinach Sandwich

Ok, I confess! I am not a big sandwich fan. If you are like me who considers it a health food and avoids too much cheese, deep fired patties and too much mayonnaise between your bread, you will know what I mean when I say, sandwiches are blah! But I have always managed to make some varieties at home which make me repeatedly say 'ok, this is the last bite I am going to eat as I am full' and still eat some more. One of them being the Mushroom-Spinach sandwich. The nutty taste of mushroom with hearty spinach goes so well together. Mushroom gives a nice bite to it, while the spinach cooked in garlic and spring onions makes it creamy. The colored peppers give a burst of colors that will make even kids ask for more and more! This nutrient packed sandwich is for everyone! Feel free to add fresh corn kernels, or any other veggie of your choice!

While any bread is good to make this sandwich, there is nothing like fresh Ciabatta. However, I prefer to make my own flat bread for this one and feel it's worth the effort!. And, why exactly do I prefer making my own bread? Well,  I don't like sandwich made with store-bought toasted bread, as it gets too crispy and you spend more time chewing the bread than enjoy what's inside. The un-toasted bread feels too bland and soft. And then there is nothing like a nice soft bread that is slightly crispy from outside and still fluffy, spongy inside!

Infact, I use the same dough in a loaf pan to make white bread! Eating fresh from the oven, home made bread is such a joy. Slather home made jam, or cream cheese or plain butter or just have it plain!

But don't worry, if you don't want to make your own bread, use any fresh bread from your favorite deli and this sandwich will still taste awesome!

You need:

For the filling:
Button Mushrooms - 1/2 Cup (cleaned and sliced)
Baby Spinach - 1 Cup
Onion - 1/2 Medium size (thinly sliced)
Capsicum/ Colored Peppers - 1/2 (sliced)
Olive Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Freshly crushed pepper - 1/4 tsp
Cheddar cheese - 2 slices (use any kind you prefer, I used the non-fat variety)
Sweet corn kernels - 1/4 cup (optional)

For the bread:

All purpose flour/ Maida – 2 ¾ cup

Rice flour – ¼ cup

Boiled potato – ½ cup (reserve water used to boil the potatoes to replace water for kneading the dough )

Salt – 1.5 tsp

Oil – 2 Tbsp

Warm buttermilk – ½ cup (replace with a mixture of 1/4 cup yogurt with 1/4 cup water)

Honey – 3 Tbsp

Yeast – 1.5 tsp

Water – ½ cup (adjust the water you get from boiling the potatoes to make 1/2 cup)

Sugar - ½ tsp

Making the Bread:

1. Mix sugar and active dry yeast in luke warm water (105-110 F) and keep it aside for 7-10 min. By the end of 7-10 min, the mixture should be frothy and this indicates that the yeast is active. Make sure the water is not too hot as yeast dies when subjected to high heat.
2. Combine all other ingredients, knead till smooth and springy, 5-10 minutes by hand or food procesor.The dough should be sticky, soft and spongy, but if it is way too sticky to handle, add a little flour to knead. But remember the dough is supposed to be sticky and soft, so ad flour only if you feel the dough is unmanageable without adding any extra flour. (The quantity of flour and water I have given should ideally be what you need) This should take upto 10 min as it needs to form gluten to make a nice fluffy bread.
3. Cover with bowl with a cling wrap and let rise till doubled, approx 1.5 hours.
4. Gently deflate dough, shape into balls and flatten them with your fingers to make 1/2 inch high rectangles of 8x4 inch dimensions.
5. Place into greased pans and leave until nicely risen but not over-proofed, approx. 35-45 minutes.
6. Pre-heat the oven at 375 F (pre-heating takes 10-15 min) and bake for 20 min or until the downward facing side is golden brown.
7. Turn sides and bake for another 10 min. 

Making the filling:

1. In oil add chopped garlic and for 1-2 minutes will the oil is infused with garlic flavor.
2. Add the onions and fry till translucent. 
3. Add the mushrooms, spinach and capsicum/colored peppers and saute for 3-4 min. Add sweet corn kernels at this stage if you are using them too.
4. Add salt pepper switch off.

To assemble the sandwich:

1. Add the filling to one half a side of the freshly baked bread. Then add the cheese on top of the filling and fold the second side over.
2. On a pan toast both sides gently so that the cheese melts slightly or just pop in microwave oven for 15 sec to melt the cheese.
3. Serve hot!

Haryali Subzi

A very healthy yet delightful dish! You have the goodness of spinach and the crunch, tang and burst of colors from other mixed vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, beans and green peas. I think this preparation will make kids ask for more!

Ever wondered if you were to make a nice dish for someone who loves spinach, what are the chances that you would make Palak Paneer? 90%. Hmmm.. 

I used to always run out of ideas to make spinach interesting, until I came across this recipe. The simple nutty taste of spinach with other garden vegetables coated in a tangy sauce makes it really refreshing! The best part is the spinach and other vegetables retain their individual tastes and yet taste so good together! I just love the way this dish is laid out. You  place the colorful vegetables right on top of a bed of glossy green spinach. Trust me, you will take your kids, family and guests, by surprise. It looks good and tastes even better!

You need:

Spinach puree – 1 Cup (see my notes below to blanch and puree)

Onion – 1 medium (fine chopped)

Ginger – 1 inch (fine chopped)

Garlic – 3-4 cloves (fine chopped)

Nutmeg powder – ¼ tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Tomato – 1 medium (fine chopped)

Cauliflower – ¼ Cup (or adjust  to liking, should be cut into small florets)

Carrot – 1-2 medium (or adjust  to liking, should be thinly sliced )

Beans – ¼ Cup (or adjust to your liking, cut into 1 inch pieces, )

Sweet baby green peas – ¼ Cup (or adjust to your liking)

Red chili powder – ¼ tsp (adjust to taste)

Garam Masala – ½ tsp

Fresh coriander / Cilantro – 2 tsp (fine chopped)

1. In a heavy bottom pan heat  ½ tsp of oil. 
2. Fry ginger and garlic for 30 seconds. 
3. Add the spinach puree, salt and nutmeg and let it cook. 
4. In a separate non-stick pan, fry chopped onions without using any oil till translucent. 
5. Transfer the onion to the spinach mixture. Add ½ tsp garam masala and continue  to cook till you get a nice thick gravy/ sauce consistency.  
6. In a separate pan, heat remaining oil and add cumin seeds. 
7. Once it splutters, add the tomatoes and salt. Cook the tomatoes till it become pulpy.
8. Add all the vegetables, salt to taste, red chili powder and remaining garam masala. Mix well, cover and cook till 80% done. But make sure they are cooked but still a little crunchy. 
9. Add the coriander leaves and switch off the gas. 
10. Now first transfer the spinach puree into a bowl. Now, on this bed of spinach puree, gently place the vegetables on top. Serve it as is!

* Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt, followed by spinach and immediately switch off the flame. Don't cover with any lid. After exactly 2 min. drain out the water out and dip the spinach in chilled water to stop the cooking process. Otherwise it will not only overcook but lose color too. Now blend the spinach  this to get a fine puree. 

** You can also add paneer to this vegetable mix

Kalakand / Milk Cake (Can't get easier than this!)

I still can't believe it's that easy!! I have always associated the whole process of making kalakand with a sore arm and a stiff shoulder. The constant stirring, scraping, watching over the milk for hours and hours makes it appear like a foolish project, especially when you can get it in your neighborhood Indian store quite easily. 

But what if you could make kalakand without all that  fuss? What if it was possible in 30 min in a microwave with absolutely no effort? Whenever you wanted! Are you still thinking there is a catch here. Nah! :)

I always liked this sweet meat the way my mom made - a nice nutty, slightly crunchy almost toffy kinds (and not the typical soft and white ones you find in sweet shops). If you like yours the way I like, cook a little longer, else your job will be done 5-10 min earlier! :) 

You need:

Ricotta Cheese – ½ Cup

Milk powder – 1.5 Cup

Sugar – 1/3 Cup (you can add more if you like it sweeter)

Elaichi Powder - 1/2 tsp (adjust to taste)

Milk - 1/2 Cup (optional, to be added in the end only if you want to make your kalakand a little more moist)

Now comes the easiest part!!

1. Mix all the ingredients except cardamom powder in a large microwave safe bowl. 
2. Pop it in the microwave for 20-25 Min. Stir every 5 min, scraping the sides to cook evenly. If you like your kalakand a little more nutty and brownish, then cook for a little longer time till you get a nice golden brown color of your choice. If you want your kalakand to have a stronger cardamom flavor, add a little more towards the end. 
3. Add ½ cup milk in the last 5 min, to add moisture so that it binds well. (this is totally optional since you may want to do this only if you like your kalakand a little moist)
4. Transfer to a well greased tray and let it cool for 1 hour. 
5. Let it cool for 30-45 min. Using a knife cut into squares/ diamonds or any shape of your choice. 
6. Transfer to refrigerator and chill the kalakand.
7. This stays good for weeks if stored in clean, dry, air-tight container in refrigerator. 

* Feel free to add chopped nuts of your choice or saffron to get different flavors and varieties. 
**This recipe is pretty much flexible. You don't necessarily need to mix the ingredients in the exact same proportion (unlike baking!). A little here and there will not do any harm.

Tomato Egg-Drop Soup

So my friend Sahana (who has been helping me proof-read my blog and championing salt.pepper.chili) calls me early one morning and comes straight to the point (we have always been like that with each other, having known each other for 14 years now!) - "you know what, your blog has just 1 soup and a very few sandwich recipes! You need to have more!". And this got me thinking. Why had I ignored something, which most of us love, but end up eating completely packaged or processed version most of the time. We feel we are giving our kids (and ourselves too) something really healthy, but are packaged/ canned soups really as healthy as you think? With all the preservatives and salt content, well... probably not! 

So next time you feel like having a nice healthy soup, take some fresh ingredients and make your own. And you will not regret it! I will be posting a few of my favorite, quick and easy recipes!So lets start with a very popular chinese style soup we all love! The sweet, tangy soup with this lovely egg ribbons. Just the way they serve in restaurants!

And if you have spent a little time reading this blog, you would know my love for dimsums/momos! I suffer from dimsum fanaticism, yeah that's true :).  So after a few continuous days of indulgences, soup - dimsum - focaccia bread would be such a nice combo! Since I already had lots of the amazing Tuscany Pane bread at home, decided to toast and slather it with soft butter! 

You need: Serves 2

Oil - 1 Tbsp

Ginger - 1/2 inch (finely chopped)

Garlic - 2-3 cloves (finely chopped)

Tomatoes - 2 medium size (Finely chopped/paste) 

Onion - 1/2 medium size (Finely chopped)

Egg - 2 

Tomato ketchup - 2 Tbsp (if you want spicy, replace 1 tbsp with tomato chili sauce)

Vinegar -  1Tbsp

Corn flour - 1 Tbsp

Fresh Coriander/ Cilantro ( including stems) - 6-7 sprigs (chopped finely)

Black Pepper powder -  to taste

Salt to taste

Sugar - 3/4 - 1 tsp (adjust to taste)

Vegetable/ Chicken stock - optional (can replace with water)

1. Break the eggs in a bowl and whisk lightly. Set aside. 
2. Mix the cornflour in 1/2 cup of water. 
3. Heat the oil in a wok or a pan, add ginger and garlic and stir-fry for half a minute.
4. Add onion and continue to stir-fry it it turns lightly translucent. You don't have to brown it. 
5. Add the tomato ketchup (or half tomato ketchup, half tomato chili sauce for a spicy soup) and chopped tomatoes and cook on high heat for about two to three minutes. Cook till its all pulpy. 
6. Stir in the remaining vegetable/ chicken stock or water and bring it to a boil. Add the salt, sugar, black pepper powder. 
7. Stir in the cornflour mixture and cook for a minute or until soup thickens, stirring continuously. 
8. Add the vinegar and cook for a min. Taste the recipe for salt sugar etc at this stage. 
9. Pour 1/4 of the whisked egg at a time from a height in a steady stream. Stir gently 1-2 times to form egg threads. REpeat with the remaining eggs. Allow the egg to coagulate and come to the top. Don't stir too much as you will get all scrambled eggs and no lacy eggs in the soup. 
10. Serve hot garnished with the fresh coriander. Coriander is indeed important.