Cakes cookies n savory goodies

Eggless Flavoured Custard Cookies

6:48 AM

Its raining cookies at our place and I cant agree with Sharmila more that Cookie baking is addictive...yes it indeed is. For the last few days am just baking batches and batches of different types of cookies. The best part is I never did that before.... A big thanks to Sunita whose recipe was a spot on Hit and I made by first successful batch this year, ever since then every evening its happening in different colours, flavours and shapes.

Though we don’t celebrate Christmas but love the festive feelings and the aroma of freshly baked cakes. A Christian family lives here in my neighborhood. They already have got the decorations on. From our bedroom window we can watch the colourfull fairy lights twinkling in the dark and emanating a cozy, warm, festive and holiday feeling. Baby H looks at these red green yellow lights with awe.

Back home, its also festive time for all in Santiniketan. It’s that time of the year, when the annual fair and festival Poush Mela takes place. This fair is observed to celebrate the acceptance of Bramho Dharma (a religion) by Maharshi DevendraNath Tagore, the father of Rabindranath Tagore. At the crack of dawn of 7th Poush (22nd or 23rd December) we wake up to the tune of Sahnai and join the Vaitalik group (morning prayer) in white clothes. The group walks around the whole Ashrama area (hermitage) singing Tagore’s songs. The fair is then inaugurated in the morning at Chatimtala with prayer meetings and Rabindra sangeet. Then all head to the fair ground where numerous different types of shops coming all over from India exhibit and sell their products.  Their is a separate food court where food loving Bengalis have their feast. But the main attraction is the live performance by the folk singers mainly Baul fakirs and tribal sports by local Santhals. On the second day of the fair, homage is paid to all dead persons of the Ashrama by offering Hobishanno, which is a meal prepared in one pot for the family members who lost their near ones. The third day is the day of Christmas and in evening the whole Brahma Mandir or famously known as the glass Mandir is decorated with candles and students sing songs and offer prayers to Jesus Christ. The whole fair and all the functions associated with it, have an old world, back to your roots charm. It’s a true reflection of our heritage.

As kid I loved each and every part of the fair and the festivities without understanding anything. What attracted me most were the shops and the firework show on the second day. After school I used to sneak in to check the preparation at the fair ground and to bring home some hot jalebis. As I grew old I was taken in the groups to design alpona (design made on a base with colours), or to recite from Veda at the morning function. Then when I grew more I started understanding the meaning of Tagore's songs and the philosophies behind those functions. Now as a mother I want my son to know his culture and connect to his roots through these festivals.

I have asked my brother to send me some photos of this fair and will upload them soon. In between if you are interested to know more about Santiniketan go here. It’s the official site of Visva Bharati University.

Now back to the cookies. This recipe was lying in my recipe diary for god knows how long. Finally got this courage to give it a try. It’s very easy, just like 1,2,3...with an outcome of superbly crumbly, melt in the mouth cookies. I experimented a lot and came up with four flavors vanilla, strawberry, Green tea and that obvious one chocolate. I also discovered that Custard powders are nothing but normal corn flour with added flavour and colour. Here is how I made it

Eggless Flavoured Custard Cookies

Vanilla Cookies
Ingredients:
Flour (Maida): 2 cups
Custard powder (vanilla flavour): 1/2 cup
Oil: 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar: 2/3 cup
Baking Powder: 3/4 tspoon
Soda bi carb: 1/3 tspoon
Warm milk: 2 Tbspoon
Vanilla essence: 1/2 tspoon
tutti frutti: for decoration

Method: sieve flour, custard powder, baking powder and soda.

Cream the sugar, vanilla essence, milk and oil very well.

Tip in the dry ingredients and mix gently to have soft dough. Chill for 10 minutes.

Line a baking tray with silver foil and preheat the oven at 175 degree C.

With slight damp hands make small balls and flatten a little bit in your palm. Arrange them on the tray little apart from one another. Place some tutti frutti or nuts of your choice in the middle and press gently.

Place the tray in the middle rack and bake for 10-12 minutes. You will find them a little soft to touch when warm.

Cool them completely and the store them in an airtight container.

Strawberry flavoured Custard Cookies

For this I used the same recipe as above. But instead of custard powder I used same amount of corn flour. You can use strawberry flavored custard powder for this. Also replace milk with same amount of strawberry preserve or freshly crushed strawberries.
Don’t use the vanilla essence in this as it could suppress that delicate smell of strawberry.
Green Tea N Custard Cookies

For this I used the same recipe but ground the content of a green tea bag and mixed it with a pinch of green colour to make it look nice. 

Chocolate N Custard Cookies
Just add 5 tablespoon of melted dark chocolate and a spoonful of coco powder instead of milk. 

These cookies head straight to Sara's corner for her Cakes n Cookies event. 


Check out this space as I have joined Nupur's 7 day recipe marathon starting from 25th December'09. We are going to try some brand new recipes for that week.

Noodle and Pasta

Curry Laksa; A Popular Malyasian Street Food

9:05 AM

I was planning to post another recipe today but Hubby loved our Sunday dinner so much that he insisted on this. But before giving the recipe I would like to share the small story attached to it.

When I came back from the hospital with the baby my Maa and MIL both were there. Post delivery diets are supposed to be healthy and certain restriction of ingredients are also there. Following which MIL cooked the food very healthy, almost devoid of any spice. I knew a new mother has to eat healthy and light but I like my food tangy so it tasted almost bland to me. Those days I used to have my meals reading cookbooks or watching cookery shows on TV. Those gorgeous pictures helped me eat my meals with ease. One such day while having rice and soy chunk stew for dinner I watched Culinary Asia, a food show featuring the cuisine of different Asian countries. That day they were showing Malaysian food and a lady cooked Laksa, a spicy prawn, tofu and fish ball soup with coconut milk. The final outcome looked so pretty and appetizing that I asked startled MIL (who also was commenting on its bland taste) to serve me more stew. I made a mental note of trying it sometime later. Then with the baby growing up and becoming naughty day by day I forgot about it. recently Hubby went to Malaysia and fell in love with their cuisine (it almost always happen with his trips abroad :-)),he loved their spice foods so much that for the first time he brought some ingredients like Chinese aromatic oil, Pad thai noodles etc from there and asked me to try them. It reminded me of Curry Laksa and somehow instantly i started craving that spicy wholesome soup. I googled and got the best looking curry Laksa on Leemei's site. She has an amazing collection of Asian recipes with yummy photos.

I had adapted the recipe from Leemei’s but also experimented a little bit to get a similar result as seen on TV. I would say this is my version of Curry Laksa, adapted to the availability of the ingredients and also to our taste. If you want to try the original one go here.

Here are the changes that I made. First, we dint have fish balls so I replaced it with Soy Chunks as the texture and look resemble a lot and its healthy and vegetarian. (Or probably the hangover of that soy stews,). I dint use chicken or clam. For fermented shrimp paste I used freshly fried shrimp which I later grounded in a mixie and replaced lemongrass with fresh lime leaves. By mistake I tipped in some turmeric which has made it look so yellowish. Next time I won’t repeat this and will get that gorgeous red colour and would definitely swap the picture then.

And was my experiment with this long standing recipe successful??? You bet. It was a sensational dish with a burst of flavors and taste. In every spoonful of this creamy soup you taste the heat of chillies, sweetness of the coconut milk and tanginess of the lime juice. This healthy, wholesome, one dish soup is perfect to warm you up in this chilly weather. Hubby simply loved it and before finishing his meal enquired when am making it next. So all you spice lovers go make your own bowlful and enjoy this utterly delicious meal.

Malaysian Curry Laksa (serves 2)
Ingredients:
For the broth
Thick Coconut milk: 1 cup
Thin coconut milk: 1 cup
I used 1/2 of a fresh coconut. Scraped and boiled it with 1 cup water, strained to get the thick milk. Again mixed another cup of water and strained for the thin milk. If you get readymade coconut milk use 2 cups of that.

Vegetable stock cube: I used Maggi vegetarian stock cube. You can also use chicken stock.

For the paste:
Medium sized onion: 1
1/2" piece of ginger
3 fat cloves of Garlic
3 dry red chillies
1 tsp coriander seeds
handful of coriander roots
10 peppercorns
2 tbspoon lemongrass roots (if you don’t have use 1 tbspoon lemon zest in the final soup)

To Serve:
French beans: 8 no.s, cut in 1" pieces
Tofu: I used 1/2 a packet cut in chunks
Shrimps: 200 gms
Soy chunk: 10 pieces
Yellow noodles: I used a pack of Top Ramen
Cucumber: 1 small
Oil: 2 tbspoon
Boiled eggs: 2 pieces
Lemon: 1

Seasoning:
Salt
Brown sugar: 1/2 tspoon
Chilli oil
Lime: one
Lime leaves: a few

Method:
Soak the soy chunks in 1 cup hot water for 10 minutes. Wash under running water, squeeze and cut in medium sized pieces.

Peel and chop the cucumber, cut the lime leaves in stripes.

With the stock cube boil beans and noodles with 11/2 cups of water. I micro waved it for 10 minutes. Drain the water and reserve it for the broth.

Lightly fry the shrimps with salt. Take out a few and add the boiled stock. Cover and let it simmer on low flame.

In the mean time grind all the items for paste along with the taken out shrimps.

In another pan heat the oil and add the paste, sugar and salt. Fry it on low till oil separates at the side.tip in the soy chunks and tofu. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Now, add the thin coconut milk and stir to mix everything well. Add the lime leaves and cover. When it starts to boil add the thick coconut milk and again mix. After a couple of minutes add in the prawn stock and the boiled beans. Check for seasoning and again bring it to boiling point and your broth is ready.

Serve the Laksa with boiled noodles, boiled cut eggs, chopped cucumber and lime wedges or boiled and shredded chicken, sprouts, clams etc.

Mix everything together, squeeze some lime juice. As the lady correctly commented it’s almost like a treasure hunt in every spoon full. We swirled our spoons, dipped it in the soup and checked each other’s spoon to see what we got. We giggled and devoured the soup like little kids.




Bengali

Kumro Posto’r Chatni/ Pumpkin, Poppy Seed Paste Chutney

9:56 AM



Ever since Sourashtra kitchen has announced the Think Spice: think poppy seed event, am literally drooling. Not only because one of our famous comfort food Alu posto is prepared with this but kancha posto bata or poppy seed paste with chopped onion, green chilly and a dash of mustard oil is something will give you good slumber. Poppy seeds are known for their cooling effects. Mainly for this reason poppy seeds are very popular in districts where the weather is very dry and hot like Birbhum and Bankura. But otherwise also it the most popular comfort food for Bengalis. Most Bengalis will eat their plate of rice with plain red lentil soup (musur daal), Alu Posto and fried fish. Apart from kancha posto and alu posto we also make peyanj posto (with onion), jhinge posto (ridge gourd), Chingri (prawn) posto, bati posto (ground poppy seed mixed with spices cooked in a bowl) and so on. For chachari which are another dominant Bengali style of cooking vegetables, also use Poppy seeds and mustard paste. Posto bora or Poppy seed paste mixed with spices and fried as fritters is another Bengali delicacy. Apart from these dishes where poppy seeds play the dominant role we have gravies where posto is used to thicken it and to give more texture.

These days price of the seeds are shooting sky and in most small shops they are not storing it. If you need it you have to order for it and give advance. But that cannot restrain posto loving Bengalis from their most favourite dish so the tradition is alive and kicking. But I have gathered a small tip from my in laws. They mix white sesame seeds with posto in 1:1 ratio. And I can bet you won’t be able to tell the difference. But I dare not as there are some Bengalis who are Posto lovers and even can tell whether the paste was kept in fridge or is freshly ground or more strangely whether the paste is ground in mortar and pestle or in a mixer grinder…well I know it as I have one such person in my family, my sister in law or Boudi. She loves posto so much that no meal is complete without it. Even after travelling for 6 hours and reaching home at 9 in the evening she happily could grind Posto and cook it. No, am not that Posto lover but love my rice with jhinge alu posto and patla dimer jhol (light egg curry).


But this time am not posting anything from these famous Bengali delicacies but something that most of you will find unusual in combination. Its kumro, Psoto’r chatni or pumpkin Chutney cooked with poppyseed paste. I never had this dish anywhere out of my family.


Like any other Indian chutney this also has that sweet and sour balancing taste. Where the sweetness comes from the pumpkin and sugar and the tartness comes from Amchur or dried raw mango. If you are a chutney lover you should try this once as all the ingredients are available in most of the kitchens. So without much ado here is the recipe

Kumro Posto'r Chatni


 Ingredients:
Pumpkin: 1 cup finely chopped
Poppy seed paste: 2 tablespoon
Amchur: 1 large piece
Mustard seeds: 1/3 teaspoon
Dry red chilli: 2 pieces
Oil: 1 teaspoon
Sugar: ¼ cup
Turmeric
salt


Method: first prepare the amchur. Cut it in small pieces and soak in 1 cup warm water for 30 minutes. Then mash it with your hand and reserve.

Now heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Once hot add the mustard seeds and the red chillies. Let it splutter and release the aroma.

Tip in the chopped pumpkin, a pinch of salt and turmeric. Stir and cover. Let it cook for 3-4 monutes on low. Stir in between.

Add the poppy seed paste and lightly fry till the pumpkins are nicely coated and release a lovely aroma.

At this stage add the amchur with the water. Mix in the sugar and stir well.

Check the seasoning, it should be both sweet and sour but you can adjust according to your taste.

Serve at room tempararture as a last course.

This goes to sourashtra kitchen who is hosting the Think spice event for the month of December. This popular event is a brainchild of Sunita of sunita’s world.

Paneer n Tofu

Ragda Patties aka Alu Tikki Chaat

10:23 AM


Come winter and I miss Delhi the most. The busy and hot city with all the dust and grime totally changes during this time. With its foggy yet romantic mornings, chilly weather and brightly attired fashionable people on road it becomes very lively and vibrant. With all its cultural programs, trade fairs, festivals, fashion and flower shows Delhi in winter flaunts to be a perfect hangout place. You can start with a lazy stroll in one of its foggy morning on the picturesque but high security roads of CP, have breakfast at Chandni Chowk, shop at Sarojini Nagar, bargain your hearts contain at Janpath, buy handicrafts and snack on various state’s cuisine at Delhi Haat, wander around India gate in the evening, do window shopping at Karol Bagh, take dinner at some roadside Dhaba…Delhi has something to offer to everyone. But the things I love most is shopping and food and to be more specific ‘Chaats’ top my list of favourites.

Among friends am known to be a Chatori which means a person who loves chaat. Now, Chaat is a kind of spicy and tangy snack mostly available as a street food. The name chaat has evolved from the Hindi word Chatna which literally means licking…and chaats having all the tangy, salty, sweet, hot n spicy tastes mingling in one plate will definitely make you lick your plate. I believe among all the places I ever visited, Delhi has the best chaats…the golgappas at Lajpat, katora chaat at Sarojini nagar or the Dahivalla at Chandni Chowk all has a spice mix that balances all tastes perfectly. And am not ashamed to admit that I could actually survive on these mouth watering, lipsmackingly good chaats.

Here in Bangalore we don’t get good chaats around the place I live. I have tasted some good ones at Commercial Street but that’s quite far from my place…so like everything else I also have to make them when I have those cravings. The chaat I make most is Ragda patties or aloo tikki chaat, the reason being I often make ghugni which could be used to top this. this dish require some preparation as it calls for certain chatneys to be mixed together. The bottom layer of ragda patties have the aloo or potato patties, it is then topped with curried peas, curd, sweet tamarind chutney, green coriander chutney and a spinkle of roasted cumin powder. All together it’s burst of flavours and taste of heaven in each spoonful. Just a mere thought of it and my mouth waters. Cant talk much now here come the recipe.

Ragda Patties aka Alu Tikki Chaat

Ingredients: (for 2)

or the Ragda or the curried peas go here. Substitute yellow peas for soybeans and skip mushroom.

For the patties:
Boiled potatoes: 1 big
Bread: 1 slice
Roasted cumin powder: 1 teaspoon
Chopped onion: one small
Green chilli: 1
Salt to taste

Method: dip the bread slice in water and drain the excess water. Mash everything together and season accordingly. Make small round balls and press using your palms on both sides to form the patties. Fry till golden brown on both sides. Keep aside.

For the Tamarind chutney:
Tamarind: size of a small marble
Salt
Sugar: 1 teaspoon or as per your taste

Method: soak the tamarind in water and take the thick juice. Mix salt and sugar. The taste would be more on sweeter side.

Green chutney:
A handful of coriander leaves
1 clove garlic
1 green chilli
Salt

Method: grind everything together in the mixie. Check the seasoning.

Curd: beat the curd with salt and reserve.

To garnish: Aloo bhujia or sev
Roasted cumin powder

To assemble: take two pieces patties in a plate. Top with curried peas. Add a spoon full of all chutneys and beaten curd. Sprinkle some sev and roasted cumin powder.


Serve immediately.

In every spoonful you will experience 'Explosion of Flavors' in your mouth which will tingle your taste buds and will make you crave some more!

Am sending this to RCI: Mumbai hosted by Kitchen chronicles:the flavor of life. This wonderful series of Regional cuisine based events is a brain child of Lakshmi of veggie Cuisine.

Bengali

Chhanar Dalna

9:31 AM



‘Burning milk’ and ‘I’ are always together. There is hardly any time when I wanted to heat and boil a packet of milk and didn’t burn it. Before marriage our household help M didi often jokingly asked for extra Rs.10 to clean that burnt vessel. Now when my maid here refuses to put in so much effort and finally I myself have to do all the scraping I realize that was a very less price I paid those days….

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