So have finally settled on the menu for tonight's New Year's Eve feast for the two of us oldies staying at home with the kids!
Starting with Adraki Chaamp (aka ginger flavoured chops), followed by Chicken Xacuti (spicy chicken in thick sauce) with simple boiled rice, Bhindi Pyaz (crispy okra with onions) and roti. I'm cheating (possibly) with the roti and hav some bought from our wonderful local Indian spice shop (they are home-made there though!).
So, the Adraki Chaamp:
1kg lamb chops
For the first marinade
4 tablespoons unripe papaya paste
1 tablespoon red chilli paste
2 tablespoons ginger paste
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon vgetable oil
salt to season
For the second marinade
250ml natural yoghurt, whisked
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1 tablespoon garlic paste
4 tablespoons ginger paste
1 x 6cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped
3 x tablespoons vegetable oil
To make the first marinade, combine all ingredients in a shallow dish and season with salt. Place the chops in a shallow dish, cover evenly with the marinade and allow to to marinate in the fridge for 6 hours (I prefer to put the chops and the marinade in a sealed bag in the fridge, but only because we're short on space!)
To make the second marinade, combine all ingredients in a shallow dish and mix well. Season with salt. remove the meat from the first marinade, wiping off any excess liquid, and add the meat to the second marinade. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for a further 3 hours.
Grill the chops over hot coals or under a hot grill for about 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally until cooked. Serve hot.
So far, we're at the first marinade stage with the chops in a bag in the fridge.
Friday 31 December 2010
Thursday 30 December 2010
So, a brief history of Indian food, from Pushpesh Pant
The foods of India are as significant to its civilization as its majestic monuments, art and literature. Indian food has taken on influences from as far afield as central Asia, southeast Asia and Turkey. The Europeans, too, have left an indelible imprint on Indian cuisine and introduced ingredients that are now widely used alongside native foods. These influxes of exotic produce, new crops and cooking techniques introduced by traders, pilgrims and soldiers have comgined to create a unique and dazzlingly varied cuisine.
The story of the world's love affair with Indian food dates back to the first millenium when an ancient Greek envoy described sugar cane as "Indian bamboo filled with honey". Arab traders were later lured to India's Malabar coast in the southwest by a wealth of aromatic pepper, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. It was also the lucrative spice trade that drew the Portuges explorer Vasco da Gama to India in 1498. At that time the spices were worth many times their weight in gold and the expenses incurred on Gama's expedition were recovered several ties over by the quantities he took back with him. It is estimated that one of his shipments alone consisted of 1,500 tons of pepper, twenty-eight tons of ginger, eight tons of cinnamon and seven tons of cloves. And, while India's spices attracted Europeans to the area, the tradeers brought with them the culinary secrets of leavened bred, baking and noodles. In return, the Indians introduced the Europeans to the joys of curry, mangoes and chutney.
More later...
The story of the world's love affair with Indian food dates back to the first millenium when an ancient Greek envoy described sugar cane as "Indian bamboo filled with honey". Arab traders were later lured to India's Malabar coast in the southwest by a wealth of aromatic pepper, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. It was also the lucrative spice trade that drew the Portuges explorer Vasco da Gama to India in 1498. At that time the spices were worth many times their weight in gold and the expenses incurred on Gama's expedition were recovered several ties over by the quantities he took back with him. It is estimated that one of his shipments alone consisted of 1,500 tons of pepper, twenty-eight tons of ginger, eight tons of cinnamon and seven tons of cloves. And, while India's spices attracted Europeans to the area, the tradeers brought with them the culinary secrets of leavened bred, baking and noodles. In return, the Indians introduced the Europeans to the joys of curry, mangoes and chutney.
More later...
Wednesday 29 December 2010
Maspatotia or Fish roasted in banana leaves
So....a little mustardey was the verdict around the dinner table. And the instructions from the husband - don't curry fish. Ever.
The recipe - dead easy although I'd change it a little (but that's just me)
800g firm white fish fillets (we actually used East Coast soles that were languishing at the back of the freezer)
4 green chillies, slit in half lengthways and de-seeded
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon mustard oil
3 banana leaves (or 3 pieces of foil)
Process the chillies, mustard seeds and mustard oil together in a blender, or if you prefer to exercise your arm muscles, a pestle and mortar (I chose the latter, need a bit of toning). Spread over the fish and set aside in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Wrap the fish in softened banana leaves and tie with kitchen twine to form parcels. If using foil, wrap the fish and fold the foil under on one side and at each end.
Dry fry the parcels over a high heat for 3 minutes each side (or roast in the oven for 15 minutes if you prefer).
In all honesty, I'd probably substitute half the mustard seeds for a more aromatic spice - ginger or garlic perhaps. And I'd probably add in something a little more fragrant - cardamom, a touch of cinnamon - the recipe tends towards sourness a little with the mustard seeds and oil. But it's a very easy recipe to try, and let's face it, if dinner's a wipeout, you can always order in!
More about the regions later.
The recipe - dead easy although I'd change it a little (but that's just me)
800g firm white fish fillets (we actually used East Coast soles that were languishing at the back of the freezer)
4 green chillies, slit in half lengthways and de-seeded
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon mustard oil
3 banana leaves (or 3 pieces of foil)
Process the chillies, mustard seeds and mustard oil together in a blender, or if you prefer to exercise your arm muscles, a pestle and mortar (I chose the latter, need a bit of toning). Spread over the fish and set aside in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Wrap the fish in softened banana leaves and tie with kitchen twine to form parcels. If using foil, wrap the fish and fold the foil under on one side and at each end.
Dry fry the parcels over a high heat for 3 minutes each side (or roast in the oven for 15 minutes if you prefer).
In all honesty, I'd probably substitute half the mustard seeds for a more aromatic spice - ginger or garlic perhaps. And I'd probably add in something a little more fragrant - cardamom, a touch of cinnamon - the recipe tends towards sourness a little with the mustard seeds and oil. But it's a very easy recipe to try, and let's face it, if dinner's a wipeout, you can always order in!
More about the regions later.
A little more about the book....
It's a feat - 815 pages thick and weighing in at approx 1.5kg, I'm needing strong arms to lift it - actually that's a lie - it's sitting open on the desk in the study most of the time as I stop to flick through the pages as I walk by...
Printed on that sort of notepapery kind of paper - not the glossy kind you get in most cookery books now, this is a real working cookery book - some great colour photographs in which most of the dishes are labelled, but it's a proper cooks cookbook - not one that you have on your shelf to look fancy, but you never use (you know which ones those are...).
Just a few words from the Introduction - you'll get the brief history of Indian food in all its glory tomorrow but for today
"For many people Indian cuisine is synonymous with the food of the Mughal shah, the illustrious rulers of most of India fom the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. And, while it is true that a wonderful gastronomic revival took place during their reign - bringing us famous dishes such as korma and biryani - it must be remembered that there is far, far more to Incian food than curries alone."
Tonight's delight is Maspatotia (fish roasted in banana leaves). The receipe allows to use foil instead, which I will. I could search for banana leaves but that's for another day.
Printed on that sort of notepapery kind of paper - not the glossy kind you get in most cookery books now, this is a real working cookery book - some great colour photographs in which most of the dishes are labelled, but it's a proper cooks cookbook - not one that you have on your shelf to look fancy, but you never use (you know which ones those are...).
Just a few words from the Introduction - you'll get the brief history of Indian food in all its glory tomorrow but for today
"For many people Indian cuisine is synonymous with the food of the Mughal shah, the illustrious rulers of most of India fom the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. And, while it is true that a wonderful gastronomic revival took place during their reign - bringing us famous dishes such as korma and biryani - it must be remembered that there is far, far more to Incian food than curries alone."
Tonight's delight is Maspatotia (fish roasted in banana leaves). The receipe allows to use foil instead, which I will. I could search for banana leaves but that's for another day.
The kashmiri chicken kebabs....
OK so a little more about the Kashmiri Murg Kebabs....I'm not sure if I'm really allowed to put the recipe up but here goes
750g chicken (chicken thighs are probably best but I used chicken breasts)
1 teaspoon cashew nut paste (grind up cashews in a blender and add a little water to make a paste)
1 tablespoon green chilli paste
375ml natural yoghurt
200ml single cream
2 eggs
2 teaspoons plain flour
2 tablespoons malt (white) vinegar
3 tablesppons ground white pepper
2 teaspoons ground green cardamom (deseed pods if you have them and either use a pestle and mortar or the back of a teaspoon)
5.5 tablespoons vegetable oil (sunflower works well)
2 tablespoons ginger paste (blend using a blender and add a little water to make a paste)
2 tablespoons garlic paste (same method as for ginger paste)
2 tablespoons rose petals (ground) - admittedly we didn't have any in the house so i left these out!
salt to season
Cut the chicken into strips (easier for threading onto skewers)
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together in a large shallow dish. Season with a little salt, add the chicken pieces and leave to marinade for at least 3 hours.
Thread the chicken strips onto the skewers and cook either under a very hot grill (turning occasionally) or over a bbq.
the result - fantastic chicken skewers - fairly spicy but they won't blow your head off... If you want to add a little more spice then up the quantity of the green chilli paste, but I really don't think you need to with this recipe.
The cashews add a lovely depth of flavour but don't give a particularly "nutty" taste.
This evening I'll be attempting to find a spice mix to go with some sole I've dug out of the freezer (so completely over turkey!)
More on the book later
750g chicken (chicken thighs are probably best but I used chicken breasts)
1 teaspoon cashew nut paste (grind up cashews in a blender and add a little water to make a paste)
1 tablespoon green chilli paste
375ml natural yoghurt
200ml single cream
2 eggs
2 teaspoons plain flour
2 tablespoons malt (white) vinegar
3 tablesppons ground white pepper
2 teaspoons ground green cardamom (deseed pods if you have them and either use a pestle and mortar or the back of a teaspoon)
5.5 tablespoons vegetable oil (sunflower works well)
2 tablespoons ginger paste (blend using a blender and add a little water to make a paste)
2 tablespoons garlic paste (same method as for ginger paste)
2 tablespoons rose petals (ground) - admittedly we didn't have any in the house so i left these out!
salt to season
Cut the chicken into strips (easier for threading onto skewers)
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together in a large shallow dish. Season with a little salt, add the chicken pieces and leave to marinade for at least 3 hours.
Thread the chicken strips onto the skewers and cook either under a very hot grill (turning occasionally) or over a bbq.
the result - fantastic chicken skewers - fairly spicy but they won't blow your head off... If you want to add a little more spice then up the quantity of the green chilli paste, but I really don't think you need to with this recipe.
The cashews add a lovely depth of flavour but don't give a particularly "nutty" taste.
This evening I'll be attempting to find a spice mix to go with some sole I've dug out of the freezer (so completely over turkey!)
More on the book later
Tuesday 28 December 2010
India - a cookbook by Pushpesh Pant
Received for Christmas from my two fantastic sons (admittedly they did have some help choosing the gift!). Having told my father in law (originally from Gujurat state) that I had received this fantastic new Indian cookbook, his scoffing was audible - doesn't anyone know that all the Indian recipes you need to know are passed down through the family? Admittedly, the family favourites (dry chicken and potato, and spiced lamb meatballs) are from my father in law, who is a fantastic cook, but I think you can never have too many cookery books, and the more you can draw inspiration from, the better your end results.
So, onto the book. India cookbook - by Pushpesh Pant. It's telling me it's the only book on Indian food I'll ever need - let's see.
Off to supervise my husband cooking the Kashmiri Murg Kebab (p.217) over hot coals - who am I kidding, there's only one good bbq cook in our house, and it's certainly not me. Back tomorrow for a little more insight into the book, the recipe and the result!
So, onto the book. India cookbook - by Pushpesh Pant. It's telling me it's the only book on Indian food I'll ever need - let's see.
Off to supervise my husband cooking the Kashmiri Murg Kebab (p.217) over hot coals - who am I kidding, there's only one good bbq cook in our house, and it's certainly not me. Back tomorrow for a little more insight into the book, the recipe and the result!
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