simple cooking : lemon rice

 “I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” — Lao Tzu

I read this somewhere and just loved it ...this is so true ... these  are the golden mantras of happy living !

And how surprisingly this applies to cooking as well !!!

• Keep it simple !
• Be patient (This is the biggest mantra of cooking I learnt from my Mom ...whenever I got upset on my cooking disasters mom always used to tell me not to be sad and that cooking is all about patience.!!!)
• And compassion...if you are not compassionate about it you won't enjoy it !!!

Well am I sounding like a preacher ???

Well talking about simplicity lemme share with you a simple yet flavourful dish LEMON RICE !!!

 Lemon rice is one of my favourite varieties of rice ....I love its refreshing taste and vibrant colour and its so easy and quick to prepare with just a handful of ingredients !

There are different versions...different ways ...here's MY WAY !!!!

Ingredients

1 cup rice(cooked)
1/4 cup Lemon juice 
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chana daal
1 tsp curry leaves
Half onion chopped
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2  tsp peanuts
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste

Method 

In a bowl combine lemon juice and salt.Take rice in another bowl and the lemon juice mixture,mix it well so that the rice is coated with this mixture well and then keep it aside.
Now take oil in a pan and add curry leaves, mustard seeds and chana daal..Add onion and cook till its light brown.Add rice and mix well.Add salt, turmeric and red chilli and give it a toss.
Garnish with peanuts and enjoy this healthy rice ready in minutes !!!

unplanned deliciousness : cheese and onion rolls

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE ALWAYS UNPLANNED !!!

Most of us would agree with this as in our daily lives some of the most unplanned events or trips turn out to be the best and the most memorable ones !!!!!!!

Similar is the case in kitchen, specially when you are dealing with leftovers...imagination runs wild and you end up cooking something really out of the world !!!

So this is what happened here !

I had some leftover cheddar after the pasta dish which I made for hubby's bday...And then I had been longing to bake a bread too....So tried these utterly yummy cheese and onion rolls.

These rolls will fill your home with a wonderful aroma of fresh bread that you will be dying to grab a piece straight out of the oven... ..!!

Very simple and very tasty !!!But yes full of cheese !!!But the whole experience of baking and eating is so gratifying that you can definitely workout a little extra for these ;) ;) !!!!

Ingredients

1.5 cups  Plain flour
1/3 cup Warm water + 1 tbsp
3/4 tbsp yeast 
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 cup  grated cheddar cheese
1 small onion chopped
1tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
2 tbsp Milk for brushing

Method

Mix yeast in 1 tbsp  warm water and let it sit for five minutes until it froths.Take flour and mix salt, sugar,yeast mixture and warm water to form a smooth and sticky dough.Add oil and knead well for 4-5 minutes till it turns into a smooth  dough.Rest it for 2 hours.

Fry  the onions till light golden and keep aside.Now take the dough and knock down the air.Roll it into a thick round shape and then place the fried onions...top it with cheese and sprinkle garlic powder.Now roll it like wrap and slice into eight small rolls.Arrange them in a baking pan and wrap it with a cling film.Allow to proof it for 1 hour.

After 1 hour sprinkle oregano and brush it with milk and bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes at 180 C.

 Enjoy the comforting aroma of freshly baked bread !!!

Sending this to Lets cook bread by Tickling palates .

mango chocolate cake for hubby's bday !!

Just after we were back from Swiss holiday up next was hubby's bday and I have been wracking my brains thinking what cake to bake for him......

Had to be something special with hubby's favourite flavours too...so after much deliberation I decided to try a combination of mango and chocolate ..and yes it was a hit  !!!

For the chocolate base I decided to keep it safe with my tried and tested recipe of chocolate cake  and a mango mousse to top it with...and to make it  more beautiful I made a heart shaped mango mirror using my cookie cutter.

 Ingredients 

For chocolate cake

My ultimate chocolate cake recipe

For mango mousse
1 cup Mango puree
1 cup Whipping cream
2 sheets Gelatin
3tbsp Sugar(or depending on your taste )
3 tbsp water for dissolving gelatin 

For mango mirror
1/4 cup Mango puree
1 sheet gelatin
1 tbsp sugar
 1 tbsp  Water
1 tbsp water for dissolving gelatin 

Method

Allow the cake to cool completely and then slice it into two.

Whip the cream to stiff peaks along with sugar and then fold the puree in. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for five minutes.Squeeze and strain it and then mix and  melt it on a low flame in lukewarm water. Do not boil.You just need to dissolve  the gelatin  in the water completely.Allow it to cool a bit  and then  fold it into the mango mixture.Using a knife apply some mousse on a cake slice and place the second slice on it.Now gently cover the entire cake with the mousse and leave it in fridge for 7-8 hours .

After 8 hours the mousse will be set and then you can decorate it as you want.I used dairymilk chocolate fingers for the sides  and then made a heart shaped  mango mirror .

For mango mirror 

Take Mango puree and mix it with water.Add gelatin  treating it the same way you did earlier for mango mousse.I placed a  greased cutter in the center of the cake and poured this mixture on it(Make the sure the mixture has cooled down).Allow it to sit for one hour and then carefully take out the cookie cutter.

The cake is ready to surprise your loved ones !!!!

Enjoy !!!

 

i 'm back with hot and spicy tofu fry

Well I have been missing in action for quite some time ....it was my  holiday to Switzerland which was keeping me busy !!!A dream vacation to the most beautiful place..truly heaven on earth!!!Everything and everyplace there was picture perfect that we just could not stop clicking pics...so much so that our camera has close to 1000 pictures ....!!!

Here is a one for my blog friends !!!

Coming back to food ...as you know that I have been experimenting with tofu for sometime ...here is another version of  tofu which can be served as an appetizer as well as a side dish .

This dish tastes very similar to Hakka chilli paneer. I lately had this in an Indian restaurant here in London called Roti Chai .If you are looking for authentic Indian street food you must go there..Will be sharing the reviews very soon !!!

But for now here' s the recipe for hot and spicy tofu fry !!!It does takes tofu to a new level and I bet you'll start relishing tofu from now on....as it is not the same bland tofu anymore !!!

Ingredients

150 gm Tofu (cubed)
1/4 cup cubed bell pepper
1 large onion (cubed)
1 small carrot (chopped)
2 spring onions (chopped)
2 tsp ginger garlic and green chilli  paste 
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp tomato paste  ketchup

1/3 tsp sugar

1 tbsp cornflour + 3tbsp water 
Salt to taste
Black pepper 
Oil 

Marinade:
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp corn flour / corn starch
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
A pinch of salt
Water 

Method 

 Make a thick paste with the ingredients for marinade. Marinate  the tofu  pieces for about 10 minutes. 

Add  oil in a pan and shallow fry the tofu pieces, turning them over when the cooked sides are brown.

In the same pan, add chopped onions, green chillies, carrot and capsicum. Cook until the onions turn transparent for 2-3 mins.  Next, turn the flame to high and add soya sauce, green chilli  ginger garlic paste, sugar and tomato sauce. Stir-fry  until well blended and turn the flame to medium-low.  Add the fried tofu cubes and the cornflour-water paste. Taste and adjust salt. Stir and cook for another 3-4 mins until the sauce comes around and thickens due to the cornflour. 

Serve hot with noodles or rice  and say yes to healthy TOFU !!!!

 

its raining again: time for hot samosas !!!

This is what I read in the morning newspaper today

Get ready for a month’s worth of rain overnight and 70mph winds

Yes its raining again !!!

So that's an excuse for savouring this fried and tempting delight called samosa !!!!

There is something so magical about the combination of rain chai and samosa..!!

Samosas are the most popular appetizer not only in India but all over the world.Its surprising to see the craze for samosas here in London ...even the English people love it !!!

...But I don't like the samosas we get here  which are wrapped in filo pastry...they just don't taste like our authentic samosas.So I tried making  this homemade mini samosa which was worth the effort !!!

Ingredients

All purpose flour/Maida – 2 1/2 cups
Rice flour – 1/4 cup
Ajwain (carom seeds) – 1 tsp
Ghee – 4 tbsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Water – about 3/4 cup(lesser the better)
Oil – for deep frying


For the stuffing

5 Medium Potatoes(boiled)
1/4 cup peas
 1 tbsp Coriander seeds 
1 inch ginger chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp amchur powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp anardana powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste


Method 

• Mix the flour, salt, carom seeds, ghee until the dough resembles coarse sands.
• Now sprinkle the water slowly and form a soft but really stiff dough. Lesser the water better it is.
• Knead the dough well for about 5 mins.Keep the dough covered with plastic wrap or a moist towel and let it rest for an hour.
•  For the stuffing heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and then ginger.Add boiled and crushed potatoes and peas.
• Add amchur,coriander powder,garam masala,red chilli powder ,anardana powder and salt.
• Roast coriander seeds and grind using a rolling pin.Add this crushed coriander to the potato mixture.
• Cook till thee mixture turns light brown and let it cool.
• Make large lemon sized balls of the dough.
• Dust the dough with flour and roll it out thin, about 1/8 inch in thickness, into an oval shape.
• Using a knife cut the rolled dough to make two equal portions.
• Wet the edges and make a cone  and fill it with the stuffing. Seal it using a flour and water paste.
• Deep fry the samosa till they turn golden all over. Please note that the oil should not be too hot and fry them on medium low heat.
• Enjoy with tea !!!

refreshing lemon polenta cake to welcome summers !!!

Finally summer's here!!!After a long wait we are finally enjoying sunshine and it feels great !!!

So its time for juices and refreshing drinks... its time for salads and sushis...its time for everything light and refreshing so here comes my lemon polenta cake !! I have been thinking of trying polenta for a while...so when I came across this amazing gluten free cake I gave it a shot !!!

Ingredients

150 gm ground almonds
65 gm polenta
150 gm sugar
130 gm butter
2 Eggs
3/4 tsp baking powder
Lemon zest from 1 Lemon
1tsp Lemon juice


Lemon syrup/glaze

Icing  sugar- 1/2 cup

Lemon juice- 1 tbsp of lemon juice

Method 

Cream together  butter and  sugar till light and fluffy.Add the eggs and beat well.

Fold in the almond flour followed by polenta and baking powder. Add the lemon zest and juice and mix well to combine.

Transfer the batter into a greased pan and bake in a preheated  oven  at 180C for 40 minutes or till a skewer comes out clean.
Place the sugar into a mixing bowl and gradually add the lemon juice, whisking continuously till you have a pourable consistency. It shouldn't be too thick.

Place the cake  on a cooling rack and once a little cooled prick it using a toothpick and pour the lemon sugar glaze.Let it sit for five minutes and then wait no further..just slice and eat !!!!
Its so moist,soft and refreshing ...simply delicious !!!

crispy baked onion rings

 Looks like I am on some kind of a baking spree ....Back to back baking recipes  from mains to starter ...and the next up is a dessert :)

To tell you the truth it is not a planned theme or something which I am following its just that I love baking and so that's what I am doing thesedays !!!

And here is something which is not actually a baked dish but a fried one ...but why not try the baked version when it tastes as good as the fried one with little effort and lesser fat content.

Onion rings are a great snack with tea or as a side dish with burgers or other meals !!!

Ingredients 

1 Medium White Onion
1 Egg white
1 tbsp Cornflour
1/2 tbsp All purpose flour
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Red Chilli
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1 tbsp Milk 
1 cup Breadcrumbs
Oil Spray 

Method 

In a bowl whisk egg white ,salt,pepper and red chilli .Add milk. Dip the onion rings and rest it for 15 minutes so the batter gets coated to the rings.Now add flour,cornflour and garlic and coat the onion rings and then finally coat them with breadcrumbs.Arrange it on  a lined baking tray and spray some oil .

Bake it in a preheated oven for 200C for about 15 minutes checking on both the sides.

Enjoy this quick and crunchy snack without any guilty pangs !!!

Sending this to From Fried to Favourite by Nupur 's UK Rasoi.