Festivities

I have always been a fan of festivals. Even as a child, I remember insisting that we celebrated each and every festival. With Christmas just around the corner, child like enthusiasm and excitement is back on the charts. Keeping up with the spirit of the festival season and for all the readers of this blog, here are some tips to spice up the tables laden with glorious feasts!

• Try to glaze the meat with a nice mango chutney instead of honey this festive season!
• Add a teaspoon full of garam masala (curry powder) to the Quiche.
• Sprinkle roasted vegetables with some chaat masala or garam masala and lemon on top.
• Turn your roast potatoes into potato tikkas (recipe below).

Roast Potatoes/ Potato Tikka Recipe:

1. Peel potatoes and cut each into 4 even-sized pieces if they are medium size. Parboil the potatoes.
2. Grind about 20 grams of mint leaves and coriander leaves, 3 cloves of garlic together with 2 tablespoons full of yogurt and some salt to taste.
3. Drain the potatoes in a colander. Rough them up a bit – shake the colander back and forth a few times to fluff up the outsides. Sprinkle with the flour, 1 teaspoon full of garam masala or tikka masala and prepared yogurt and herb chutney. Give them another shake or two so they are evenly and thinly coated. Carefully put the potatoes into the hot fat – they will sizzle as they go in – then turn and roll them around so they are coated all over. Spread them in a single layer making sure they have plenty of room.
4. Put a big roasting tin in the oven and preheat oven to 200 degree C.
5. Roast the potatoes for 15 mins, then take them out of the oven and turn them over. Roast for another 10 mins and turn them over again. Put them back in the oven for another 10-15 mins, or however long it takes to get them really golden and crisp.
6. Serve them right away.

In the end, I’d like to say that don’t let your negative thoughts come in your way this festive season. Stay positive, forget your grievances and grudges against each other. Keep the festive spirits up! Enjoy and let others enjoy!

Piano Christmas party

It’s a Festivity time. Everyone is getting prepared for the big day which is Christmas Day. Lots of parties around too. Yesterday, my daughter’s Piano teacher hosted a party for all of her piano pupils and their parents. I promised her do some Indian food courtesy Curry Coddler. Yvonne, the piano teacher is a lovely lady and a very very positive person with a big smile on her face always.

I was struggling to decide what to cook for the crowd of about 25 people. I finally decided to do Samosas and chicken tikka and some paneer puffed patties day before yesterday. Went and did my quick shopping and started the preparation.

Cooking Samosas for 1 or 2 people is a breeze. Mind you cooking the same for 25 is a bit of a challenge. Cooking part of it is alright but rolling out the pastry, filling it and the frying them all takes time and tremendous patience. This process is dull and boring. Anyway, I kept my motivation high and made 26 Samosas. And then marinated chicken. And yesterday, an hour before the party I did the chicken tikka and the paneer puffs. Chicken Tikka turned out perfect and I left paneer puffs in the oven for too long and guess what – obviously burnt patties:(
Anyway, it was time to go and wasn’t possible to do anything else. Only consolation I had was that the other 2 things had turned out pretty good.
Party was lovely! All the children played nice tappy songs on piano. And the food definitely stole the show in the end. And guess what – lots of happy faces at the end. And made me think that all those samosa were worth the effort and I forgot all about the burnt disaster;)
Curry Coddlers, lets try to put a smile on people’s faces this holiday season.
Cheers!

Indian Cookery Lesson in Camberley Surrey

Recently, I gave a cookery lesson in Camberley to a group of friends. The group comprised of a couple from South Africa, who were visiting their friends in Camberley.

The group of 4 friends arrived at 10 A.M. sharp, at the arranged venue and started chit chatting. In a very first look, I could tell that they were all lively people, all different personalities and very enthusiastic learners.

The menu was made and adapted to suit their needs prior to their arrival. They had chosen to make Chicken Biryani, Butter Paneer Masala, Roti (Chapatti), Chicken Tikka Masala, some chutneys and a couple of Raitas (Yogurt based accompaniment). It is making my mouth water as I am writing theses names down.

The day began by talking about some house points and by exploring some spices used in an Indian Kitchen.    They were amazed to learn various facts and uses of spices in our day to day life. For example: Jeera (Cumin seeds), a spice commonly used in an Indian kitchen can be helpful in strengthening our digestive system and circulatory system.

After discussing the recipes,  I soon split them into groups and planned the work. Planning and spliting was then followed by hands on cooking session…

All of them were very keen to learn and kept tempo of the class alive. The morning was full of laughter, lots of pot bashing, piles of creativity, mesmerizing dishes, soaring kitchen heat, ice cold tea and a bottle of wine served with Poppadoms. The group thoroughly enjoyed their Indian Culinary experience that day.

Guess how do I know that? They sent me some lovely flowers after the courseJ I was really touched by this gesture. I thought that was really sweet!

In the end, I would like to thank all of you who have supported me and Curry Coddler by:

Taking the courses

Being there for me (especially my friends and family) and

Read my blogs.

Thanks and keep up the support!

Happy New Year

I had a lovely holiday in India. I ate a lot this time; tried various regional cuisines, travelled around a bit and visited families.

We went to Vadodra in Gujrat this time and had lovely Gujrati food there. Dhokla, fafada, patra, khandvi, rotla, theplas are just a few to mention… I am writing a Dhokla reipe this time as my dedication to a lady (Meena Ben) who taught me how to make few of those things.

Dhokla 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup bengal gram flour

• 1 1/2 tbsp semolina

• 4 tsp sugar

•  1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste

• 1/2 tsp citric acid  or 1 tsp lemon juice

• salt to taste

• 2 tsp fruit salt

• 3 1/2 tsp oil for greasing and cooking

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 1 tsp sesame seeds

• 1 tsp chopped green chillies

• a pinch of asafoetida

• 2 to 3 curry leaves

•  For The Garnish 2 tbsp chopped coriander

  Method
  1. Combine the besan, semolina, sugar, ginger-green chilli paste, citric acid and salt along with little water (approximately ¾ cup) in a bowl and mix well with the help of your hand to get a smooth and thick batter.
  2. Divide the batter into 2 equal portions and keep aside.
  3. Add 1 tsp of fruit salt to a portion of the batter and mix gently.
  4. Pour the batter immediately into a greased 125 mm. (5″) diameter thali (plate with high edges) and spread evenly by rotating the thali clockwise.
  5. Steam in a steamer for 12 to 15 minutes or till the dhoklas are cooked. Keep aside.
  6. Repeat the steps 3 to 5 to make one more thali of dhoklas.
  7. Heat 3 tsp of oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds.
  8. When the seeds crackle, add the sesame seeds. Green chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves, mix well and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
  9. Remove from the flame and add 1½ tbsp of water and mix well.
  10. Pour this tempering over the dhoklas.
  11. Cool slightly and cut into equal sized pieces.
  12. Serve hot garnished with coriander.

I hope you”ll all enjoy it as much as I did…

Once again, Happy New Year to all of you…

Modern face of Indian food

Modern face of Indian food.

Modern face of Indian food

This blog is to give you an insight on how the face of Indian food is changing. It is really interesting to learn how Indian food has evolved over the centuries. Indian culture and food was rich any way as the Vedas (holy scriptures) and Puranas (holy scriptures) describe. But it’s also true that the different invaders brought and left their marks on the food. Greeks, Mughals, British all contributed and enriched the food.

I have just tried to compare a few pictures here just to show that how the food is evolving in modern times.

It has healthier approch to it; the presentation of food has become more modern etc…

Bread Pakora (Fried - Traditional way).

This picture is of a “Bread Pakora” made in a traditional Indian way; meaning, it’s been coated with chickpeas flour and spices batter and deep-fried to golden colour.

Bread Pakora (Grilled - Modern way)

Picture 2 also is Bread Pakora; but, the grilled version and a more modern version.This obviously is a healthier option.

Vegetables Kebabs (Traditional-cum-Modern way)

Till today, vegetable kebabs are baked in clay ovens and use very less oil (healthy cooking:) But the way they get presented has been changed. Use of more lettuce and other salad leaves has increased in past few years.

Vegetable Kebab Wraps (Modern way)

Here vegetable kebabs have taken a new avatar all together. Vegetable kebabs and salad leaves have all gone in a tortilla and have defined wraps in a modern way – say, “fusion wraps”. Therefore, the kebabs and the wraps, both have got a new definition now…

Mixed Vegetable (Made in a traditional way)

This is a “Mixed Vegetable” cooked in a traditional Indian way; but, has been plated in a modern way.

Fusion Quesadilla (Modern indian way)

You’ve become smarter now!:) This “Fusion quesadilla” has been made with the mixed vegetable cooked in a traditional Indian way. But, it has been given a totally new dimension by filling it in the tortillas with some cheese and grilled to give the fusion name “Indian fusion quesadillas”.

I am sure you’d all agree, that not only Indian food; but our food in general, is evolving and becoming more global in look and feel… What do you think, “Is it something we should be alarmed of”? Please, do submit your views… And, keep visiting!

CURRY CODDLER

Coddle a curry as you would coddle a baby!

If you pamper your curries, they will pamper you in return.

The more you simmer it; better it will taste.

That’s exactly what “Curry Coddler” stands for…

http://www.currycoddler.com

Fusion Roast Potatoes

These mouth watering Fusion Roast potatoes will add a spark to your Christmas table… 

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 450 grams

Oil – 30 ml/ 2 tblsp.

Garlic – 3 cloves

Chaat masala (Indian spice) – 2 tblsp.

Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp. (optional)

salt to taste

Preparation

Peel the potatoes and cut into large even-sized chunks. Rinse under cold running water to remove the excess starch.

Peel gralic, wash and dry.

Method

1. Par boil the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for 10 minutes.
2. Drain them and coat in the oil or fat of your choice.
3. Roast garlic and potatoes in an oven preheated to 200°C for approximately 40 minutes, turning twice.
4. Sprinkle chilli powder, chaat masala and salt (there is some salt in chaat masala to, so use salt carefully) on top and toss nicely.
5. Serve immediately

PANEER – RCEL(read it, cook it, eat it, love it)

PANEER

Paneer (fresh cheese), what a lovely ingredient to use in the kitchen! It is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting home made cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice or citric acid. Unlike most cheeses in the world, the making of paneer does not involve rennet as the coagulation agent, thus making it completely lacto-vegetarian and providing one of the sources of protein for vegetarians in India. It is generally unsalted.

Since childhood, I have loved eating paneer and as I grew up; my love for this lovely ingredient grew bigger and bigger. I always order a Paneer dish whenever I dine out. My husband calls me a Paneer freak.

As much as I like eating it; my passion to cook it is no less. My all time favourite dish is Paneer tikka. Umm! As I’m writing about it; my mouth is watering:)

Paneer is such a versatile ingredient that you can do anything with it. Cook it in any form using any method; it’ll always surprise you.

I have made it many times and would like to share this lovely recipe with you. So you RCEL too..

Paneer Tikka

Ingredients:

Paneer – 200 gms,cut into cubes
Capsicum – 1,cut into 1’ pieces
Onion – 1,cut into cubes

For the Marinade

Thick yogurt – 1 cup
Thick cream – 3 tbsp
Oil – 1 ½ tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
Tandoori masala Or Chicken masala – 1 tbsp
All purpose flour – 2 tbsp.
Salt to taste

Method

Take all the ingredients for the marinade in a mixing bowl and mix them well and add paneer and rest of the
veggies. Mix well and keep aside for an hour.
Line a baking tray with a parchment paper and lightly grease it.
Arrange the tikkas on a skewer or a toothpick (if using toothpick, the paneer and veggies should be chopped in a small size).
Preheat oven to 180*C.
Place the tikkas in the hot oven and cook for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle some melted butter on the tikkas and cook again for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle chat masala and lemon juice.
Serve hot!

Curry Powder

What is a Curry Powder?

Did you know that the term Curry Powder is a Western invention?

Curry powder is nothing but a mixture of various spices that vary in their composition. Curry powder, and the contemporary English use of the word Curry are Western inventions and do not reflect any specific Indian food, though a similar mixture of spices used in north India is called garam masala (recipe given below). Curry powder actually resemble to the south Indian sambar powder. The word curry is widely believed to be a corruption of the Tamil word kari, variously meaning something like sauce, cooked vegetables or meat.

In the western world, curry powder mixtures tend to have a fairly standardized taste; though a great variety of spice mixtures are used in Indian cuisine.

Curry powder was largely popularized during the nineteenth and twentieth century through the mass export of the condiment to the western table, throughout Europe and North and South America and through its use in British Army rations. Curry powder did not become standardized, as many of the original blends of curry powder were still available throughout the world. During late 60’s and early 70’s consumption of Indian food in the west increased and this led to an increased demand for Indian restaurants throughout the world. The tradition of keeping special blends of curry powder simply became uneconomical, and curry powder became increasingly standardized outside India.

Most recipes and producers of curry powder usually include coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dry fenugreek leaves, and red chilies in their blends. Depending on the recipe, additional ingredients such as ginger, garlic, asafoetida, fennel seed, caraway seeds (sometimes called lovage seeds), cinnamon, clove, mustard seed, green cardamom, black cardamom, nutmeg, and black pepper may also be added. However, the Portuguese importation of the chili pepper from Brazil and their mixing of other Asian spices enabled the development of ‘curi’. A dish called Vindaloo from Goa, is a actually a word derived from the Portuguese word Vinho de alho ; which means garlic wine.

As we learnt curry powder is more of a generic term for a blend of different spices and is commonly known as garam masala in India. Garam masala is best made fresh just before you begin cooking, but if you haven’t got the patience and time, make a batch ahead and store for several months in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.

To make your own curry powder/ garam masala, you would need:

• 4 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 ½ tsp black cumin seeds (shahjeera)
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 ½ tsp dry ginger
• 4 large black cardamom
• 6-7 cloves
• ¾ tsp cinnamon (2 X 1” pieces)

Simply dry roast all the spices in a skillet and dry grind them in a grinder. And, store in a cool dry place in an air tight container.