Vegetable Au Gratin.... Simple and always Sinful

There are a few simple dishes that cannot be substituted with even the most awesome gourmet dishes.... 

Vegetable Au Gratin is one of them. The creaminess of white sauce .... the fresh vegetables .... and sinful cheese... Gatinee ( or Au Gratin ) is a classic cooking term which means flashing of dry heat in the surface to give a golden crust. Guilty pleasures of cheating on my diet with the pretext makes me make this things in my cafe ... Bon Appetit - The Cafe.... 

Vegetable Au gratin

White sauce (béchamel)

Butter 50g

Flour 50g

Milk 500ml

Double Cream 50 ml

Cloves 10 nos

Onion 1 nos

Nutmeg 1 pinch

Salt to taste

White pepper powder

Cheese grated  for baking 50g

• Heat milk with onion studded with cloves and strain
• Melt butter in a pan and add flour
• Add milk and whisk so that no lumps are formed
• Add the nutmeg and season with salt and white pepper powder
• Finish with double cream 

Corn 50g

Carrot 50g

Green peas 50 g

Beans 50g

Potato 50 g

Broccoli 50g

• Blanch all vegetables after cutting them into small dices

• Mix all vegetables in the white sauce top with cheese and bake till a golden crust if formed.

 All done this golden cheese is too hard to resist.... to hoots to the diet... I DIG IN !!! 

Adios ... till we meet again 

Bon Appetit 

Goin' Grapes .....

I simply love what fruits do to desserts .... and if one gets nice round chunky grapes.... the sky is the limit....
was wondering what fruit i should use on a red velvet cake, as strawberries are not in season and i didn't want to use plums ... Went to the market and saw huge red grapes and got a brain wave ... Whipped some cream and iced mt red velvet into a yummy-licious grape gateaux....

used the trimmings and made Grape Trifle Puddings as well

P.S. I AM ON A DIET ! so i cook to satiate my taste buds... cooking satisfies me way more than eating

See you soon ...

Zero Oil Chicken Wings !!!

Well, who doesn't like barbecued chicken wings? Are you on a Diet !?! Well, Why should the thin ones have all the fun. Sharing a recipe of Five Spice and Pepper Chicken Wings ... Enjoy

Ingredients 

For water glaze 
Chicken wings 1 kg
Honey 6 tbsp
Water 2 cups
Cinnamon powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste

For marinade 
Honey 3 tbsp
Cider vinegar 3 tbsp
Cayenne pepper 3 tsp
Pepper 3 tsp
5 spice powder 1 tbsp
Garlic powder 1 tbsp
Salt
Fish sauce 1 tsp

• Heat all ingredients for the glaze and bring to a boil 
• add the chicken wings at last and bring to a boil 
• strain and cool under a fan 

• Mix all ingredients for the marinade and microwave for 30 seconds  
• Throw in the air dried chicken wings 
• and keep aside for an hour 
• Cook on a grill in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius 
• cook for 45 mins or till cooked 

If one is one a diet.... its not boring.... !!! Diet Food sometimes can make people jealous... Mine Does !!! 

Adios !! .... Bon Appetit...  

Kaanji....

Well, if you are Punabi or Marwari, you know what  I am talking about.

Kaanji is an age old body coolant that is made in households of north and north west India. Its not only a body coolant but aids in digestion and is a very good liver tonic. My first memories of kaanji take me to lanes of  Old Delhi... Khari Baoli ... where any food lover can lose his senses... heaps of spices... aromats lacing the air with with a  different aroma every ten steps... Moving from Pungent Chilies... Earthy Henna ... Sharp Mustard.... or fragrant Fennel .There is something for everyone  here...

During the months of early winter when the mornings have a nip ... its perfect time to make kaanji ... which can be made from many ingredients. The one that i am going to show you is Kaali gajar ki Kaanji ...
Kaali Gajar or black carrots are an overtly sweet root vegetable... like parsnips ... avaiable only during winters.. they can be replaced with  equal quantity of regular carrot and beetroot

so here goes .....

Ingredients 

Water 6 lt

Salt 6 tsp 

Sugar 1 tbsp 

Kashmiri Chili Powder 3 tbsp 

Hing ( asafoetida ) 1 pinch 

Black Carrots 1 Kg cut in fingers 

Coarsely Ground Mustard Seeds ( red mustard seeds) 6 tsp 

Method

bring the water to a boil 

add all the ingredients except the mustard 

bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 2 -3 minutes 

pour in a glass jar and wait till it cools to just a little warmer than room temperature 

add the mustard and stir well 

cover with a tight lid and keep in the sun for four days

do not leave outside at night as the dew will spoil it . 

six days later, the kaanji will turn sour and the black water will turn into a bright maroon.... its a sour and salty beverage ..., and the carrots can be eaten with the kaanji or as a pickled vegetable. The process is very similar to what the Middle Eastern cuisines use as pickled vegetables with the shawarma or doner kebab..

Gulaab Ki Thandi Kheer

Seasons of spring brig on floral fragrances, honey colored pleasant mornings, and breezy soothing evenings. The season of spring also brings the onset of festivals like Basant Panchmi and  Holi . The floral fragrances floating in the air inspired me to bring to you a recipe that is a family favorite during this time of the year.

Gulaab Ki Thandi Kheer

Milk 500 ml

Paneer 50g

Khoya 50g (grated)

1 tsp corn flour

Sugar ¾ cup (powdered)

Gulkand 1 heaped tbsp (rose petal relish )

Rose water 1 tsp

Rose petals fr garnish

Method 

         

Heat milk  till it gets a little thicker

 Blend the paneer in the mixer till its a smooth paste and add to the milk

Add khoya and sugar and and stir it for a few minutes on a slow flame

with a little cold milk, dissolve the corn flour

add to the milk and stir till the milk thickens avoiding lumps

Add the gulkand and rose water and stop coking

Serve chilled garnished with rose petals 

P.s. do wash the rose petals before use . soak them in chilled water for better look 

P.s. gulkand can be bought from any paan shop

Let this mild and fragrant dessert bring to u a joyous  Basant Panchami ..and Happy Holi 

Som Tam - Thai Papaya Salad

When it comes to comfort food, this tops my list. Yes, I know, Kachha Papita , Kancha pepe, but just give it a shot. This is pure bliss.. texture  color, freshness and health all packed in a single dish . The cutting is the main thing in this salad for the perfect thin julienne, please use a peeler and make slices  if papaya and carrot and then further shred it down. Grating will not give the same effect. 

Raw Papaya 300g

Carrot 1 nos

Spring Onion 50g

Onion 1 nos Sliced

Coriander stems 1 tbsp Chopped

Crushed Peanuts 50g

Coriander leaves for garnish

For dressing

Oil few drops

Ginger ½ tsp grated

Garlic ½ tsp grated

Green Chili 1 chopped

Jaggery (gur) / palm sugar 2 tbsp

Fish sauce 1/2 tsp

Vinegar 2 tbsp

Salt

Pepper

MSG

• For dressing, heat oil and fry green chili , ginger and garlic,
• add the jaggery and vinegar and cook till a this syrup is formed
• add the seasonings and leave oil on the sides
• finely shred the papaya and the carrot
• soak in iced water for a few minutes till crisp and arrange on a  plate
• top with crushed peanuts and coriander stems and onion
• and gently pour the dressing when cool
• Garnish and serve

P.s. if u dont have fish sauce , or you are vegetarian, this tastes just as good without it.. u can also substitute fish sauce with drop of LEE KUM KEE Oyster Mushroom Sauce. 

Khapun Kahp... see you soon with another recipe

Strawberry Gateaux .... LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

Winter brings to us a lot of things, pleasant weather, happiness, celebration, and my favorite of them all Strawberries. A strawberry is not a fruit, its a symbol of love, a mouthful of strawberry and cream and feel like a blissful winter morning fulling your sense. 

Have been making this Gateaux for years now.... and its never failed to bring a smile .. 
A gateaux can be good and with a little care it can become mind blowing. Here is a recipe for a gateaux as light as cotton.. 

For Cake 

100 g sugar

5 eggs 

Red Colour few drops 

Maida 110 g 

• beat eggs and sugar till sugar is dissolved and the eggs become stiff like whipped cram 
• add few  drops red colour 
• fold in the maida with a fork, be very gentle 
• bake in a lined cake tin at 190 degrees for 25 mins.. 

For Icing 

300 g whipped cream 

4 tbsp icing sugar

chopepd strawberries 1 cup 

light sugar syrup with a hint of strawberry essence  1/2 cup 

• mix suagr and cream together 
• cut the cake into three and layer soaking cake with sugar syrup 
• add a layer of cream and strawberry 
• repeat the process with second layer
• top with third layer and cover in cream 
• garnish as desired with chopped strawberries