Instagram Craze and Grilled Ajwaini Prawns

GRILLED AJWAINI PRAWNS

Hiii

INSTAGRAM CRAZE

Its been a crazy last few days...Our employee who helps out with our orders for our e-commerce website decided to go on a long leave, so you can obviously imagine the chaos..Amidst all of that I suddenly got crazy about INSTAGRAM..yes I know the rest of the world has been doing it for years now and I have just started.. So to put it all together I am either working or I am instagramming (I don't think this word even exists lol)..

And obviously there is absolutely no time to cook, still I cannot just cannot have something not favourable on my palate even on those days!! Since I was craving for some prawns the other day N got me some. Since He is allergic to sea-food I had to think of an alternative food also along with the prawns.

So I decided to make something which is SUPER FAST and SUPER EASY and the same ingredients can be used for making Paneer. So here it is



GRILLED AJWAINI PRAWNS (or PANEER)

Prawns

Makes : 20 Medium sized prawns (without the head)

Ingredients

20 Medium sized prawns ( De-veined and head removed)
Salt
Hung Curd - 3 tablespoons
Ajwain (Carom Seeds) - 1.5 tablespoons
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Black Pepper Powder - 1 teaspoon
Chat Masala Powder - 1 teaspoon
Juice of 1 whole Lemon
Mustard Oil - 2 teaspoons
Refined Oil - 1 tablespoon

Ingredients

Procedure:

Marinated Prawns

1. Marinate the Prawns with Salt for around half an hour


2. In a separate bowl take all the other ingredients (except the Refined Oil) and Mix very well


3. Spread over the prawns and mix with hand so that all the prawns are properly covered with the marinade.

Lightly Fry the Prawns

4. Keep Aside for second marination for about 1 hour


5. Heat the refined Oil on a non-stick tawa and grill/fry the prawns lightly on both sides.


6. Don't overdo the prawns or they will turn hard (around 1-2 mins each side till its golden in color)


7. Serve Hot with ketchup or chutney

Grilled Ajwaini Prawns .. Served Hot

NOTE: Procedure is exactly same for Paneer
Thanks for taking out time to read!! Ciao!

There is always time for a slice of Chocolate Cake

Rich Chocolate Cake covered with Chocolate Ganache

Hiii..
Writing again after a Two Month long hiatus..A lot of interesting things happened in these two months.. The highlight ofcourse being a fantastic trip to Ladakh (India) with my family...What Do I say about Ladakh..Its really difficult to put in words what I felt there..The snow peaked mountains, the grasslands, the people, the rivers, everything was breathtaking!! Such places always remind me of the beauty of nature and how extraordinary our planet is!

The Beautiful Ladakh

But a nice vacation always means coming back to a lot of pending work..And that is what happened when I got back..
Well now that things are kind of back to normal, my hunger pangs tend to set in and what better way to satisfy our tummies than Baking a Rich Dense Chocolate cake covered with mouth-watering Chocolate Ganache.(Who doesn't love a Chocolate Cake anyway)
Most of us have this habit of walking towards the fridge every hour and opening it thinking something new would have suddenly appeared into the refrigerator out of nowhere. Well I am no different, if not every hour but I do this atleast 10 times a day and sometimes it is indeed helpful.

Ingredients

Last evening I noticed some left over Unsalted Butter. What now, well I ll do what I love the most and that is 'BAKE'. I weighed the butter and it was about 90gms so I had to find a recipe which would fit this. After browsing through a few recipes I found one which would be just ideal for this much butter and that is a Quick Rich Chocolate Cake and well why not cover it up with some Ganache. I followed the Chocolate Cake recipe from 'Joy of Baking' and Taaadaaa the Cake was ready in a jiffy. The only precondition was the Cake covered with Ganache needed a few hours to Set properly so I had to resist myself for the night. But Yes the first thing I had in the morning was a slice of Cake.

Note: This is an extremely simple recipe without any requirement for a stand/hand mixer. This is a dense cake adding to the richness of chocolate

Mixing the Dry Ingredients

RICH CHOCOLATE CAKE COVERED WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Makes: An Eight Inch Cake

Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1/4 cup (25 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed), sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (75 grams) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup (240 ml) warm water

1 tablespoon lemon juice (or vinegar)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting:
6 ounces (170 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream (35% butterfat)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

Preparing the Cake Pan for the final Cake Mix

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.
2. In an bowl stir together (with a whisk) the flour, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add the melted butter, water, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. With a fork/whisk, mix all the ingredients together until well blended.
4. Prepare the cake pan by greasing it with butter and then flouring it. }
5. Pour the cake mixture into the pan.
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

The Freshly Baked Cake

FROSTING with GANACHE :
8. Place the chopped chocolate, cream, and butter in a heatproof bowl.
9. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and melt until smooth.
10. Remove from heat and let stand at room temperature until it is of pouring consistency.
11. Place the wire rack (with the cake) on a plate covered with wax paper. Then pour the frosting over the cooled cake so that the extra ganache drips down.
12. Keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours or preferably overnight

Preparing the Ganache

Pouring the Ganache

Important Points:
1. Before pouring the ganache make sure the cake has cooled down (you can also chill it in the fridge)
2. When you prepare the ganache initially it will be thin, as you keep it to cool down it will thicken, but take care that the ganache shoould not be extra thick and should remain in its pouring consistency
3. The extra ganache can be used to make chocolate truffles (though we just gobbled it up before that hehe)

Thanks for reading..Keep Calm and Eat some Chocolate Cake!!

Chocolate Cake Fan Forever

The Joy of Baking Muffins - Raisin and Choco-chip Vanilla Muffins

RAISIN AND CHOCO-CHIP VANILLA MUFFINS

Ingredients

Who doesn't love Muffins...The very smell of one makes me drool..And when I started Baking  I realised that baking 'Muffins' was one of the easiest things to do..extremely simple, no frills and can be done without even using an electric or a hand mixer..What now, me being 'The Lazy Cook', 'Muffins' became my favourite things to bake!

When it comes to baking I can close my eyes and trust Stephanie's (from Joy of Baking) recipes. They are all full proof and have never let me down till now!! I have adopted her recipe for Choco-chip Muffins here though the quantities vary according to my requirement. I wanted Choco-chips but strangely they were out of stock from every possible grocery store nearby so I have used chopped dark chocolate instead and even added some dark raisins!! 

RAISIN AND CHOCO-CHIP VANILLA MUFFINS 

Mixing the Dry Ingredients

Makes: 20 Muffins


Ingredients

200gms unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 medium eggs

280ml milk (whole or reduced fat)

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

460gms all-purpose flour/Maida

270gms  granulated white sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

120gms chocolate chips/chopped chocolate

150gms Raisins

Wet Ingredients

Cinnamon Sugar Topping: (Optional)
1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Procedure

Folding the Ingredients together

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and place oven rack in the center of the oven.
2. Butter, or line with paper liners, 12 muffin cups.
3. In a large bowl whisk together all the 'Dry Ingredients' the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips and raisins.
4. In another bowl whisk together the 'Wet Ingredients' the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.

Filling up the Moulds

5. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon fold the wet ingredients, along with the melted butter, into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are moistened and combined. (Do not over mix or you will have tough muffins.)
6. Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop.
7. In a small bowl combine the topping ingredients and then sprinkle a little topping on each muffin.

Just out of the Oven

8. Place in the oven and bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

9. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5-10 minutes before removing from pan. Can be covered and stored at room temperature for a few days or they can be frozen.

10. Slightly warm it up just before serving.

Cooling over the Wire Rack

Next on my list is Pineapple and Orange Muffins or Carrot Muffins...Hope to catch you soon with any one in my hand!! Thanks for taking out time to read! Byee!

Breakfast with Instant Rawa Uttapam

INSTANT RAWA UTTAPAM

Ingredients

My Rule - "If the Breakfast is good the entire day is bound to be good".. Yes I really can't have cereals or simple bread in the morning..I need something different everyday..
And that's the reason I rush into the kitchen just after my morning tea.. But deciding what to make is a pretty taxing thing to do..
Well during the initial two years of my career I used to teach Physics..Yes I know its a shocker..I won't say I disliked doing that but within those two years I understood that this was not meant for me..I was not made to do a regular 9-5 job..I wanted my own flexibility..And that is the reason I gave it up and joined the husband as a free lance web developer.
Well why am I telling you all this is because the following recipe was given to me by one of my colleagues back then and I am really thankful to her because not just me the entire family loves it!! This is an Instant Rawa Uttapam which can be prepared in a jiffy.. Here goes the recipe...

Sooji-Curd Mix

INSTANT RAWA UTTAPAM

Makes: Around 8 Uttapams

Ingredients

Rawa/Sooji - 2.5 cups

Curd - 1 cup

Tomatoes - 2 small

Onions - 2 medium

Green Chillies - 2-3

Coriander Leaves - 2 Tablespoons (chopped)

Salt - to taste

Black Pepper - 1.5 teaspoons
Water

Refined Oil for frying

Procedure

Batter

1. In a bowl mix the Sooji and the curd properly (it will looks like a paste/dough) and cover and keep for around 20 minutes

2. Chop all the vegetables

3. After 20 minutes add Water to the Sooji Mix and mix till it forms a smooth batter

4. Add Salt, Pepper and the vegetables (remember to take into account the vegetables while adding Salt)

5. Take a NON-STICK Tawa and heat 1 teaspoonful Oil

Spread the Batter

6. Pour 2 ladles of the batter and spread it (the way you do it for am omelette)

7. After around 20 secs with the corner of your spatula make a few small holes on the uttampam

8. Place few drops of Oil on each holes and let it cook
9. Turn the Uttapam and fry the other side
10. Serve Hot with Chutney (I prefer it with ketchup or chilli sauce).

Instant Rawa Uttapam

The biggest advantage of being a free lancer is taking out time to cook whenever I want to!! Thanks for reading and Do try this at Home!! Ciao!

Sunday Lunch with Veg Yakhni Pulao/Pilaf

Veg Yakhni Pulao/Pilaf

Since I was a child Sunday Lunch used to always be special.. Being a Bengali, Maa's favourite used to be Mangsho Bhaat as in Mutton Curry and Steamed Rice... Arpi (sis) and me used to finish off with our homework right in the morning and then kept playing till Maa's Mutton Gravy's aroma made our tummies growl with hunger and our mouths drool..
Many years have past and Maa still continues to make something special on Sunday and makes me miss her even more on these days..

Today being a Sunday, the Husband n Me decided to move our lazy bones and do something special with Rice and Mutton..

N (the husband) chose a Kashmiri dish - Mutton Kabargah (for the recipe click here), his patented dish which I am crazy about.. I decided to make a type of Kashmiri Pulao/Pilaf to go with it which I have never tried before..After browsing through the net I found a very interesting recipe. It was Veg Yakhni Pulao (adopted from http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/vegetable-yakhni-pulao-veg-yakhn-pulao/)..Since we Bongs like our Pilafs slightly sweet, I added some sugar in the recipe. This one's extremely light on the palate yet very flavourful!! Hope you all like it!

Getting Started

Note: Yakhni means Stock in Kashmiri. Here the Rice is cooked in the vegetable stock, You can try this with Mutton or Chicken also.
Bouquet Garni refers to a bundle of herbs/spices tied together in a muslin cloth and placed in the pan of water with the vegetables/meat to enhance the flavour of the stock.

VEG YAKHNI PULAO / PILAF

Makes: 6-7 servings

Bouquet Garni

Ingredients

For the Bouquet Garni:
3-4 strands of mace
1 tbsp coriander seeds/dhania
½ tbsp caraway seeds/shah jeera
3 cloves/laung
2 inch cinnamon/dalchini
¼ tsp nutmeg/jaiphal
½ tbsp chopped ginger garlic

For the Veg Yakhni:
2-3 cups chopped veggies like cauliflower, carrots, beans, peas
5 cups water
salt

For the Pulao/Pilaf:

Vegetables chopped up

3 or 4 tbsp ghee
2 cups basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes
1 tsp caraway seeds/shah jeera
1 tsp ginger garlic paste (optional)
1 large sized onion, sliced
1 inch cinnamon
3-4 green cardamom
3 cloves
1 cup curd/yogurt
Salt
Sugar - 4 to 5 teaspoons

For the Garnish:
1 small onion, thinly sliced and fried - also known as birista
½ cup fried cashew nuts (optional)

Procedure:

To make the Bouquet Garni:
1. Take all the ingredients mentioned above for the yakhni in a muslin cloth. Tie the muslin cloth securely with the spices inside it. this is the bouquet garni.

Preparing the Yakhni:
1. Heat 5 cups of water. add the chopped veggies and salt. and the Bouquet Garni
2. Cook the veggies till they are half done. (15 mins)
3. Squeeze the bouquet garni and discard away the spices.
4. Through a strainer strain the stock/yakhni and keep the veggies aside.

Preparing the Pulao:

Placing the final Rice-Vegetable Mixture
in the Rice Cooker with the Yakhni/Stock

1. Heat Ghee in a Pan/Wok
2. Add the caraway seeds and fry till they sizzle.
3. Add the sliced onions and fry them till they are browned.
4. Add the other whole spices - cloves, cinnamon, cardamom along with the ginger garlic paste.
5. Fry for a minute or till the raw smell of the ginger garlic disappears.
6. Now add the half cooked veggies and curd.
7. Mix everything add Salt and Sugar (We have already added salt to the yakhni. keep this in mind before adding the salt)
8. Add the drained basmati rice and mix the rice with the spices and curd.
9. Now pour 3.25 cups of the broth/yakhni. ( I did the last part in the Rice Cooker) and set to boil
10. Put the Mixed Rice in the boiling yakhni.
11. Mix well and cover.
12. Cook for 15-20 minutes or till it switched over to 'Keep Warm' mode
13. Garnish with fried onions and fried cashew nuts.
14. Serve Veg Yakhni Pulao Hot with Onion- Tomato Raita.

And so the Bongs enjoyed a scrumptious Sunday Lunch while remembering the good old days.. You can try the Pilaf with Mutton or Chicken.. I ll keep it for next time!! Thanks for reading! Ciao! :) :)

The Veg Yakhni Pulao with some Onion-Tomato Raita (and ofcourse N is frying the Kabargahs while I click this)

Oh Calcutta and Bhapa Ilish

Maa and Me

Well all of you will agree there is something about 'Maa ke haath ka khana' and that is what makes my annual vacation to Calcutta even more special..

Being born and brought up in Delhi I really haven't spent many years in Calcutta (except a couple of years of schooling).. But there is something so very special about that city that once you manage a bite of the place you will savour the flavours forever..

After Baba's retirement, Maa and Baba mostly stay in Calcutta which gives me good enough reason to visit the city atleast annually.. Its a city full of amusing things, from lip-smacking street food to the hand pulled rickshaws, from the yellow cabs to the slow moving trams, the city is a wonder in itself!!!

And for me additionally is Maa, Baba, Arpi , Jiju n my cute nephew!! Obviously whenever I am there Maa makes sure she prepares all my favourite dishes!!

'Ilish' or 'Hilsa' is one Unique Fish...and being a Bong I totally love its taste..And if you manage to get hold of a fresh Hilsa make sure 'Bhapa Ilish' is the 1st thing that you cook..Maa obviously made sure I got my annual share of Hilsa this summers too. So here's presenting Maa ke haath ka 'Bhapa Ilish' or 'Steamed Hilsa'

BHAPA ILISH / STEAMED HILSA FISH

Fresh Hilsa Fish

Makes: 6-7 pieces of Fish

Fresh Mustard and Green Chilli Paste

Ingredients

6-7 pieces of freshly cut Hilsa
2 tablespoons of fresh Yellow Mustard  and Green Chilli Paste
2 teaspoons mustard oil
2-3 green chillies (slit)
Salt

Procedure

1. Wash the Hilsa pieces and sprinkle Salt and keep aside for half an hour

Preparation

2. Take a metallic container (with lid) which fits perfectly into the pressure cooker add the Mustard Oil, the Mustard and Chilli paste and some Salt

3. Put the pieces of fish inside and properly smother the mixture over the fish








4. Place the green chillies over the pieces

5. Close the lid and pressure cook till you hear one whistle then switch it off

6. When the pressure has released Serve Hot with some steamed Rice

This is one of the most popular Bengali Meals ever..Just one things you need to be an expert at picking out fish bones while eating Hilsa!

Bhapa Ilish / Steamed Hilsa Fish

Bon Appetite and Thanks Maa for making my annual trips so very memorable!

My Marriage at 21 and Mutton Kalimiri

Our Wedding

Hii..
I was just now reading a post on Facebook which talks about the usual stereotypes associated with an Indian Marriage. Like the girl should know how to cook, the girl should dress in a certain way after marriage, whether the girl should work after marriage, what about her male friends and so on..

I got married when I was 21 and not because of some social/parental pressure but because I had found that one person with whom I wanted to spend the rest of my entire life. I was still doing my Masters and honestly at 21 I hardly understood all the things associated with marriage. It was more of a 'dream come true' feeling because I was head over heels in love with N(hubby)..

But now (its been around 10yrs) when I read all this I can't thank my stars enough that I had N in my life and nobody else. The main reason being from the beginning till now N loved me the way I am..Never ever did he burden me with expectation of any sorts. I could be MYSELF in front of him ALWAYS.. I really don't know how the usual Husband-Wife relationship is cause N and Me have always been Best of Friends from the very beginning.

Its more like two friends who are in love with each other are staying together. All responsibilities together and all the fun together but giving each other sufficient space to do our own thing too, to have my own set of friends, to do things what I want to do the way I want to do!!!!

Well Thank You N, Thank you for making me feel that getting married that early wasn't an impulsive decision which one would regret later, rather something which I will cherish all my life and even later!!! Thanks for being on my side from being a total no-cook person to someone who writes a food blog now!

Now coming back to FOOD..Yes by now you can gauge that I didnot cook this one but N did.. Its called MUTTON KALIMIRI/ BLACK PEPPER LAMB. I have taken this from the Internet. Its a recipe by Chef Harpal Singh

MUTTON KALIMIRI/ BLACK PEPPER LAMB

Mutton Kalimiri / Black Pepper Lamb

Makes : 6-7 servings

Ingredients
1 kg Mutton (with Bones)

Mutton

1.5 tablespoons Freshly Crushed Black Peppercorns

4 tablespoons Ghee/refined Oil
1” Cinnamon – 2 pcs
2 Bay Leaves

7-8 Green Cardamom
5 Black Cardamom
5 Green Chillies – Slit
6 Medium Onions Sliced

3 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste
Salt to Taste

5 tablespoons Boiled Cashewnut paste
1.5 teaspoons Garam Masala Powder
1/2 Cup Fresh Cream

Procedure

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of Oil/Ghee in a Non-stick Pan and add the Cinnamon Bay 

Getting Started

Leaves Green Cardamom Black Cardamom Green Chillies and Sauté

2. Add the sliced Onions and Sauté for 3-4 minutes

3. Add the Mutton and Sauté for 2-3 minutes
4. Add the Ginger Garlic Paste, Mix and Sauté for 3-4 minutes
5. Add Salt and Mix Well
6. Add 2 Cups of Water and Pressure Cook on High for 5 minutes and then reduce heat and cook for 25-27 minutes
7. Heat the remaining Ghee/Oil in a non stick pan
8. Add the crushed Peppercorns and Cashew Nut paste and Sauté for 3-4 minutes (till it forms a lump)
9. Reduce Heat and add the cooked Mutton with the stock and spices
10. Add Garam Masala, Mix well and Cook further

Cashew nut paste and Black Pepper being sautéed

11. Add the Fresh Cream and Mix well, Cook further till it gets heated properly.
12. Sprinkle some more Crushed Pepper and Serve Hot with Naan or Roti.

This recipe has very delicate flavours and those who are not fond of Mutton, can try out with chicken.
Note: Vegetarians: Try with Paneer/Cottage Cheese

Thank You for reading..Ciao!

Mutton Kalimiri