Category: Cuisine

Payesh – Rice Kheer



If you are a Bengali you can never escape the evergreen ‘payesh’. You have any traditional function, any festival or even a birthday payesh is omnipresent. 

Payesh or rice kheer is a dessert item traditionally made with milk, rice and sugar. However, there are many variations of payesh and can be made with various things like semolina, thatched rice, flour and even with Rasgulla!! Surprised… that’s what I like about cooking you can get so creative.

But this one here is a traditional payesh with rice but with some little twist. Little additions to make it even yummier.

All that you need 

Milk – 2 litres 
Rice – 1/2 table spoon (if you can manage ‘gobindobhog’ rice then even better) 
Granulated Sugar – 2 table spoon 
Green cardamom – 2 pods crushed 
Condensed milk – 1 table spoon (for the added taste) 
Batasha – 8-9 (sweet sugar drops) 
Dry fruits – chopped almonds, cashew, raisins 



Method

Bring milk to boil in a pot. 

Take care to stir the milk as it reduces. Add the rice and let it cook in the milk. 

Keep the gas low and stir at regular levels. If you don’t stir the milk will start sticking at the base and might get burnt. 

Add crushed cardamom Add the sugar only when the rice is cooked.

It’s important to note when to add the sugar – if you add sugar before it will not let the rice cook properly. So add sugar or the sweeteners only when the rice is cooked. 

Add the batasha. Batasha is made of flour and sugar. These sugar drops not only adds flavour in this dessert but also gives an amazing consistency. It helps in thickening the payesh. 

Add the dry fruits and condensed milk and stir for another 2-3 mins.

Let it sit for some time and then you can serve. 

It always tastes best if you let it rest for a good 3-4 hours.


Banana Muffin

Muffins can make me happy any time – little cups of joy. Last time I had shared a Blackberry Muffin recipe which I made with blackberry preserves. Last Sunday I was again in mood for muffins so thought of using up some fresh bananas. I also added some nuts for the extra crunch.
Banana muffins are really easy and very light. You can have it as dessert or even during breakfast.
What you will need

All-purpose flour – 1 n 3/4th cup (230g)
Granulated sugar – 3/4th cup (150g)
Nuts, finely chopped – 1 cup (you can use walnuts, almonds or cashew – I have used almonds here)
Baking powder – 1 teas spoon
Salt – 1/4th tea spoon
Cinnamon powder – 1 tea spoon (I make it fresh – gives that beautiful aroma)
Eggs – 2 (lightly beaten)
Unsalted butter – ½ cup (100g)
Ripe Banana – 2
Let’s get started

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees C (350F) and line a muffin tray with muffin cups/liners
Lightly toast the chopped nuts in a dry pan and set aside.
The preparation is very easy. You need two separate mixing bowls for the dry ingredients & wet ingredients and then just mix.
Combine flour, nuts, baking powder, sugar, & cinnamon powder in a mixing bowl and mix them lightly
In another bowl mash up the bananas with a fork and add the beaten eggs
Add melted butter to this wet mix
Now lightly fold the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.
Take care that you are not beating it very hard you just need to fold it till all the dry ingredients are combined and becomes a chunky batter. No need to make it smooth like a sponge cake batter.
Now scoop the batter in the muffin cups and bake them at 180 degrees C for 20 – 25 mins.
Rest them on a rack once you take them out from the oven.
That’s it – the banana muffins are done.
Enjoy.
Tip: Insert a toothpick to check, if it comes out clean you are good to go.

Classic Fudge Walnut Brownies


I almost can never resist desserts… or rather any form of sinful dark chocolate pastries. And a moist sinful brownie is just right to set the mood and go yummylicious. I like all my cakes a little moist – it just adds a different dimension.

Now brownies are real easy to make and just awesome to taste. It just makes me happy 🙂

All that you need:

  1. All-purpose flour – ¾ cup
  2. Granulated Sugar – 1 cup
  3. Brown Sugar – ½ cup
  4. Dark chocolate chips – ½ cup – I have used Morde dark compound here
  5. Butter – ½ cup (melted)
  6. Vanilla Extract – 1 tea spoon
  7. Eggs – 2 large
  8. Baking powder – ½ tea spoon
  9. Cocoa Powder – ¾ cup – I have used Cadbury’s Hot Chocolate drink 
  10. Walnuts – ½ cup roasted & chopped
  11. Salt – ¼ tea spoon
  12. Milk – 1/3 cup

Little butter to grease the baking tray.



Let’s Get Started:

Preheat oven up to 180 degrees Centigrade or 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Sift all dry ingredients – flour, salt, baking powder, cocoa powder in a bowl and keep aside.

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. After the chocolate melts mix it with melted butter. (check for tips on melting chocolate here)

To this mixture add whole eggs, vanilla essence & sugar and beat until sugar dissolves.

Gradually combine the dry ingredients to this mixture while folding it.
Add milk to soften the batter. Rest the batter for at least 15 mins before you put it for baking.

Prepare a 9 x 9 inch baking tray by greasing it with butter.

Pour the batter and spread it evenly in the baking tray.

Take 1 teaspoon of plain flour ad coat the roasted walnuts. – this will prevent the walnuts to go and sit at the bottom once the cake starts rising.

Sprinkle the walnuts across the batter.

Bake it at 180 degrees Centigrade or 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 mins.
And you are ready for the indulgence 🙂

Try this out and let me know how you enjoyed this sinful chocolate indulgence.

You can have it just like that or can have it with vanilla ice cream.
                                                                                                                                     

Pasta Alla Trapanese

Italian cuisine and pasta have become synonymous everywhere. But somehow I have seen people here (in India) obsessed with only two kinds of pasta – in red sauce or in white sauce. Well you can make pastas even without the same old sauce. How about pasta with pesto? A classic recipe from Trapani – it’s a small province of Sicily.

Italians love their pomodoro & basilico and so do I. [tomato & basil respectively]. This is a David Rocco inspired recipe btw.  


All that you need:
  1. Tomato – 3 chopped
  2. Garlic – 4-6 cloves
  3. Eggplant – 1 sliced thin
  4. Potato – 1 sliced thin
  5. Spaghetti – 250g (you can use a pasta of your choice)
  6. Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1 cup (for pesto as well as frying the potato & eggplant)
  7. Salt – to taste
  8. Oregano – 1 teaspoon
  9. Thyme – 1 teaspoon
  10. Basil – a hand full
  11. Pecorino cheese – as much you like!


Let’s get started:

Making this Pesto alla Trapanese is very simple.

Put the tomatoes, garlic & basil leaves in a grinder and coarsely grind them. Add salt and half a cup of extra virgin olive oil to make a smooth pesto. [Traditionally these are supposed to be done in a large stone mortar & pestle – but I don’t have it so I am sticking to my blender]

In a frying pan heat some olive oil and pan fry the eggplant & potato slices. [Before frying I dust them with little salt usually, that helps is reducing the water and lessens the frying time]. Take out of flame and drain excess oil on a kitchen paper.

Cook the spaghetti in hot boiling salted water for 15 mins or till it’s just becoming soft. Don’t overcook it – it will just start falling apart.

Now here’s my twist – Put the tomato pesto in the frying pan, add the cooked spaghetti & fried potato & eggplant and toss them together. Add some thyme and 1 ladle of the pasta water. It really helps to get the pasta together.

Add a generous amount of grated pecorino cheese.

And you are done – add a sprinkling of oregano and enjoy!

Mango Lassi

When its summer in India you seem to see and smell mangoes everywhere. Some time back when had gone shopping the entire floor of Total supermarket was smelling of mangoes. But who complains, they are so yummy… 

Here is a simple and easy way to enjoy the mango in the summers. A lassi with a fruity twist. It’s yummy & keeps you cool. 

I am posting it late… I had made it a few months back. 

All that you need

1. Mango – 2 large (the variety you like the most – I have used ‘Langra’    specialty of Bengal you may say)

2. Plain Yogurt – 2 cups

3. Milk – 1/2 cup

4. Sugar – 3 tea spoon ( I have not added sugar since the mango itself was sweet)

5. Cardamom powder – a pinch ( for the added flavour)

Lets get started

Well actually there’s nothing to do.

Cut the mango in small pieces or take the pulp out and put it in a blender.

Add yogurt, milk, sugar & cardamom powder and just blend.

That’s it… its done.

You can add some ice cubes in it. But ill give you a trick if you are just taking out the yogurt from the fridge and putting it in the blender then you can do away with the ice. I personally don’t like ice in my lassi.

Enjoy.



Prawn in poppy seed sauce

Prawns can be cooked in almost every way that you might like – sauté, stir fry, deep fry, curry, baked – almost anything. Curry obviously is a major part of Indian Cuisine but wait a minute the onion tomato and spice curry is not the only curry that we do. There can hundreds of curry in made in numerous ways. So that’s what I tried here – bringing some distinct flavours from several parts of the country.
‘Posto’ or poppy seeds are used extensively throughout Bengali & Oriya cuisine it gives a very nice texture and a certain poppy hit. I have also used ‘char magaz’ which is a mix of dried almond, watermelon, pumpkin & cantaloupe seeds for the curry. It is mostly used in Rajasthani cuisine as well as in Bengali cuisine. So now you know Bengali food is not only fish & sweets!!
It is served with yakhni rice, which is nothing but cooking rice in aromatic water than the regular water. Simple!
All that you need

For Prawn & Poppy seed sauce

1.       Prawn – 250 g
2.       Tomato pureed – 2 cups
3.       Posto (poppy seeds) – 2 tbl spoon & Char Magaz – 1 tbl spoon (soacked in warm water for 20 mins & pureed)
4.       Cumin seeds – ½ tea spoon
5.       Cashew nut & raisins (soaked in water) – ½ cup
6.       Coconut Milk – 1 cup
7.       Red chilli powder – ¼ tea spoon
8.       Cumin powder – ¼ tea spoon
9.       Salt to taste
10.   Oil/Clarified butter – 2 table spoons
11.   Lime juice – 1 table spoon
For Yakhni Rice

1.       Long Grain rice – 1 cup
2.       Star Anise – 1
3.       Bay Leaf – 1
4.       Cloves – 5-6
5.       Green Cardamom – 4
6.       Black Cardamom – 1
7.       Cinnamon – 2 small sticks
8.       Cumin Seeds – 1 tea spoon
9.       Coriander seeds – 1 tea spoon
10.   Black peppercorn – 1 tea spoon
11.   Water – 2.5 cups
12.   Muslin Cloth – 8×8 inch
So Now let’s get Started

Poppy seeds & chaar magaz

For Prawn & poppy Sauce
De-vein and clean the prawn – and marinate them with the lime juice and salt for 10 mins
Sauté the prawns in a wok till it turns opaque and then take of the fire
In the same wok heat oil and add cumin seeds.
When it starts spluttering add the pureed mix of poppy seeds & char magaz and keep frying till oil separates.
Add pureed tomato, cumin powder, red chilli powder and keep stirring
Add salt to taste and cook in low flame for 5 mins
Add the coconut milk and simmer for another 5 mins.
       Add the fried prawns, cashew & raisin to the curry and simmer for 2 mins.
       And you are done with your prawn.
Whole spices for yakhni rice

       For Yakhni Rice

       Yakhni rice may sound complex but is very simple actually.
       Take a muslin cloth, put all the dry whole spices and make a small parcel.
       Boil that parcel in water for 20 mins.
      Cook the rice in this water. (I added some cumin seeds for extra flavour)
Garnish & serve the prawn with this aromatic rice.

Coconut Lime Punch with Cranberry Twist

Abnormal temperatures, scorching sun & sweltering heat – the Indian summer shows no mercy to anyone. Keeping the body hydrated at all times is a must and what can be better than a coconut lime punch? And it turns even cooler when you have a Coconut & Lime Punch with a Cranberry Twist!

coconut lime punch

Summers are really bad for body’s hydration level. One minute out in the sun means body losing a considerable amount of water. I hate going out in the summers because of this very reason. And always guzzling down water becomes boring after a few times. Who like plain water?? 

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Butter Garlic Prawn Spaghetti

 
I am a self confessed fan of Italian cuisine. Pastas are so quick n easy to make and you can experiment with almost anything that you like. So this time I tried with prawns. This is a Donna Hay inspired recipe… so loads of credit to her.
 
All that you need
 
1. Butter – 1 tblspoon
2. Olive Oil – 1 tblspoon
3. Prawns – 250 g – de-veined and cut in halves lengthwise
4. Garlic crushed – 4-5 cloves
5. Lemon Juice – 2 tspn
6. Thyme – 1 tspn
7. Lemon grass – 1 tspn
8. Salt & pepper for seasoning
 
Lets get started
 
Marinate the prawns with lemon juice & salt
 
Melt butter in a wok and add olive oil
 
Add crushed garlic and fry for 2 mins.
 
Add the prawns and fry in medium heat
 
Boil the spaghetti with little salt.
 
Add thyme, lemon grass and seasoning to prawn. [I use dried herbs, if you get fresh herbs please use that, and let me know where you collected that in Bangalore]
 
Once the pasta is cooked properly drain the water and the spaghetti to prawn and mix well.
 
That’s it you are done… drizzle some olive oil before serving and enjoy
 
 
 
Little Suggestion
 
While cooking pasta you should always add it in hot boiling water. There’s no need of putting oil in the water it doesn’t help in anyway. After draining the pasta from hot water put some chilled water and drain. Your pasta will never stick with each other!
 
Enjoy & let me know how you liked it.
 
 
 

Blackberry Muffins

I am such a dessert lover, I can almost never say no to anything sweet. That’s probably the same with all the Bongs. I guess lately I have been bitten by the baking bug, these days I can only think of Crème brûlées, cakes, muffins…
It’s a little difficult to arrange things for a hassle free baking exprerience in Bangalore, I think. I have been searching store after store for decent butter sheets and muffin trays and have returned dissapointed from many. Even the supposed largest lifestyle store’s sales people didn’t know whats a ramekin! Can you imagine that.

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Hot Fried Samosa

samosa, singara, potato samosa, indian snack
Samosa or ‘singara’ as we Bengalis call it, is almost a national savoury item throughout India.  You can find hot samosas in every corner of the country.
 
It’s a fried savoury pastry which can be stuffed with your favourite vegetables. Though the calorie content is a little more but hey, it’s yummy and sometimes you can indulge.  
 
So let’s get started.
 

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